UnCivil Service
by ninja hampster
Summary: Due to recent tensions with China, Japan institutes a Universal Civil Service act. Sending Keitaro, and thousands of others into the military. With a massive war on the horizon, will he be able to survive?
1. The Stage is Set

A few words from the author: readers are appreciated, reviewers are appreciated even more.

Legal mumbo jumbo: if I owned Love Hina, I would issue a public statement saying that all fanfiction writers would not have to write these stupid disclaimers again. Hopefully this story will different enough to satisfy 808 and Halo Expert.

Notes on the text: Story is AU. Content warnings will be printed at beginnings of chapters, relevant information will be printed at bottom of chapters.

Enjoy

* * *

Nobody really knew when the war actually started. . .

Did it start when China's leader, chairman Lao announced his intention to make China a world power. . .

Did it start with North Korea's strategic alliance with China. . .

Did it start when the North Koreans mobilized a 950,000 man army without anybody noticing. . .

Did it start when North Korean tanks rolled south across the DMZ and attacked South Korea. . .

Did it start when satellite pictures revealed a massive concentration of fighter jets and transport planes in the northeast areas of China. . .

To some it started when the United States interveined on behalf of South Korea. . .

To others it started when Anderson Air Force Base in Guam was attacked during the night and almost completely destroyed. . .

Still others thought it started when Japan quietly instituted a "Universal Civil Service" act. . .

To thousands it started when they saw their husbands, sons, and fathers getting into buses headed for "Civil service". . .

For one young student, the war started when he recieved a letter from the Japanese government. . .

* * *

November 20, 2009; 1243 local time; Somewhere over Hinata

Keitaro had seen what was going on, he saw the news on TV. He, like many others thought of the war as something far away, something that didn't really concern him. He was just an ordinary cram-school student, he didn't have time to worry about politics.

To tell the truth, international politics was the last thing on his mind right now. Currently his mind, and the rest of his body was flying through the air. Keitaro used this time to reflect on the wisdom of knocking before going in to clean the hotsprings, this tidbit of wisdom was too late to stop Naru's angry fist from sending him soaring into the sky towards town.

Three old men were walking down the street when Keitaro crashed into a dumpster behind them.

"Gravity, more than." said one without turning around.

"A good idea." Finished another.

"It's the law." said the third.

"And not likely to be repealed." they all said together.

Keitaro stood up, brushed himself off, and started walking back to the inn. He walked along the cobblestone streets towards Hinata's grand staircase. He heard a commotion coming from inside Haruka's tea-shop, he unknowingly walked inside and saw three olive-clad JSDF (Japan Self Defense Force) soldiers sitting around a table having tea and chatting. 'There seems to be more and more of them around these days' Keitaro thought as he walked over to his aunt to see what was going on.

"Hey, Keitaro." She said. "What are you doing here, and why to you have a banana peel in your hair?"

Keitaro put his hand on his head and sure enough, there was a banana peel. He took it off and threw it away before responding "I forgot to knock before cleaning the hotsprings."

Haruka nodded before pulling out a letter from her apron. "The postman brought it to me this morning, it's from the government."

Keitaro opened the letter and read it silently to himself. According to the letter he was to report to the bus stop at the edge of town at 1300 hours on the 23rd of November, 2009.

November 23, 2009; 1245 local time; Hinata Inn

Everything was ready to go. Haruka had agreed to manage the Inn while he was gone, he was all packed, and Shinobu had even made him a special lunch to eat at the bus stop. His suitcase contained a few changes of clothes, an eyeglass repair kit, and a group picture of all the guests in the Hinata Inn. He said his goodbyes to everyone (Tama-chan even gave him a goodbye "Nyu!") walked down the grand staircase towards town.

Keitaro sat down at the bus stop and started eating his lunch. Soon he was joined by Kentaro, Shirai, and Masayuki. The three of them had gotten similar letters. The bus arrived on time and they climbed into the bus and sat down. As the bus drove away Keitaro looked back at the Hinata Inn fading in the distance. Little did he know of the trials and tribulations he would face before he ever saw the inn again.


	2. The Plot Thickens

A few words from the author: readers are appreciated, reviewers are appreciated even more.

Enjoy

* * *

December 1, 2009; 1409 local time; Outskirts of Kyoto, Japan

Keitaro leaned on his shovel and wiped the sweat from his brow, he had now worn the JSDF (called the DF from now on) uniform for a little over a week. He and his bunkmates had a strict schedule, military training on sundays through wednesdays, and civil service thursdays through saturdays. Kentaro and Shirai were in his bunkhouse, which helped a little with the homesickness.

Keitaro didn't understand why he had to go into the military if he was helping with public works projects. DF personel all over Japan were working on various things. Some were improving roads, some were fixing bridges, others were maintaining historical shrines, but the majority of the projects that the DF was working on seemed to be tsunami defences. Keitaro and his bunkmates were working on special bunkers to give the people on the outskirts of Kyoto a safe place to run to if a tsunami approached. Apparently the outskirts of Kyoto were lacking proper protection from tsunamis (1). He had seen other bunkers like these that had already been completed. They looked like they were made to repel invaders rather than repel waves.

The bunkers he had seen looked like pillboxes. They resembled bricks made out of concrete with slits about a foot tall and five feet long all around three of the four walls. Keitaro had been given a tour of one of them. The slits on the outsides could be closed with steel doors that hung on the top, they were made watertight with rubber gaskets. The true genius of it all was underneath the hatch in the middle of the floor, all the bunkers would be connected by a long tunnel. These tunnels would also have different rooms that would branch off the main tunnel. Keitaro saw kitchens, bunkrooms, and infirmmaries. Keitaro also noticed that every room had an "emergency supply storage room", the man told them that it was for food, medical supplies and the like; but Keitaro could have sworn he had seen guns inside one. All of the rooms and sections of the tunnel could be sealed off from the other parts if it flooded.

Keitaro continued digging the hole, reflecting on how much he preferred doing the civil service instead of training. It wasn't that he couldn't to put up with it physically, it was that he hated latrine duty, which he was usually stuck with. He decided to occupy his mind with something that didn't involve toilets, he wondered why there were so many "signal flare launchers" in Kyoto and why they looked suspiciously like anti-aircraft guns. His commanding officer told him that they were at one point obsolete AA guns, and that it was nothing to worry about.

* * *

December 4, 2009; 1129 local time; The Oval Office, Washington D. C., United States

President Harold T. Shrub leaned back in his chair, today was a good day. The situation in Iraq was stablalized and the majority of the troops had returned home, he had met with several heads of state during a goodwill tour and made several agreements that helped ease tensions with many nations, he even got congress to pass a few reforms on the immigration policies.

This good mood lasted until his meeting with the joint chiefs of staff when a startling discovery was revealed. As the president sat around a table with his trusted advisors and generals, he was presented with several disturbing satellite images taken over the Ningxia Hui autonomus region of China near the city of Yinchuan (2). These images revealed several very large unidentifiable objects and an area of devastation near them.

"What the hell am I looking at exactly?" the President asked.

"Mr. President, our analysts suggest that these are some sort of new war machine, but we can't be certain." One of the men responded.

"Why don't we ask Bejing?" Another man said.

"No, because if it is a new war machine that they're building, they can't know that we know about it." The president said. "For right now we should keep a close eye on it, keep me posted if anything new happens."

"There is another item of buisness, Mr. President, we recieved a message from Tokyo requesting military aid. The only catch is, it has to be under the table." Another man said, reading a dispatch.

"I see. . . hmmmmmmm. . ." The President said as he rubbed his chin. "I have an idea. We could send the U.S.S. Missouri (3) and Iowa to on a goodwill tour of Japan to 'commemorate the 65th anniversery of the end of World War II. Make sure that they are armed and manned. We could also send some of our Parris Island drill instructors to 'advise' the JSDF training. We can also send the battlegroup in Korea just outside of Japanese waters."

"Will do sir." Another official said.

* * *

December 4, 2009; 1245 local time; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, United States

The afternoon sun shone down on Pearl Harbor making the waters glisten. A massive ship was moored on a dock facing toward the U.S.S. Arizona memorial, it had three giant turrets that each held three massive 16 inch guns. Two of the turrets were on the bow side and the other one was on the stern side. It had two prominent masts, smoke stacks and structuring in the middle. The hull was a dull battleship grey and the American flag waved proudly from its spot on the forward mast.

The battleship U.S.S. Missouri was preparing to disembark for her goodwill tour in Japan. Her hull had gotten a new coat of paint, her engines were tuned up and purring like a giant metal kitten, her machinery was fixed and she was fully loaded with live 5 inch shells,16 inch shells, and tomahawk cruise missles. Many of the sailors were suspicious of the true reasons for going to Japan, but they thought that it had something to do with Korea.

At last the seaborne behemoth was fired up, plumes of smoke billowed out from her stacks, the mooring ropes were taken off and thrown to the dock. "Mighty Mo" was ready to go and serve her country again, the people on the dock waved goodbye as the old battleship headed out to sea, followed by two Ticonderoga class AEGIS cruisers.

America's chess pieces would soon be in place, now came the time to wait and see if China would make their move.

* * *

(1) Kyoto is an inland city, far enough inland to not need protection from the vast majority of tsunamis.

(2) In 2006 there was an internet phenomenon where somebody claimed to have found a secret PLA (People's Liberation Army) facility using Google Earth. The Chinese government claims it is a tank training facility.

(3) The Japanese government surrendered onboard the U.S.S. Missouri.


	3. The Calm Before the Storm

A few words from the author: readers are appreciated, reviewers are appreciated even more.

Contains: profanity and Fullmetal Jacket refrences

Enjoy

* * *

December 9, 2009; 2120 local time; Chinese High Command Strategic Planning Facility, Shenyang China

General Qing (1) leaned on the planning table looking at the map in front of him. The map on the table was a gigantic map of the eastern parts of China, North Korea, South Korea, and Japan. There were twenty small red transport planes and fifty red fighter planes in the Northeastern part of China near the North Korean border. There were fourty small red transport ships at Shanghai. There was one blue aircraft carrier off the east coast of North Korea just barely outside of Japanese waters and another aircraft carrier in Yokosuka. There was one blue battleship offshore near Tokyo Harbor. There was a blue fighter plane near Tokyo and to the far North of the Japanese island of Honshu. There were blue fighter planes and infantry figures standing over Okinawa. All over Japan there were various white fighter planes and infantry figures. There were white ships in Tokyo, Kobe, Osaka and several other Japanese ports.

Each transport plane represented ten planes and nine hundred battle-ready paratroopers. . .

Each red fighter plane represented fifteen MiG fighters, armed and fueled. . .

Each transport ship represented five ships, fourteen hundred men ready for battle and sixty tanks ready for deployment. . .

The blue carriers represented the USS Ronald Regan and her battlegroup offshore of Japan and the USS George Washington and her battlegroup stationed in Yokosuka. . .

The blue battleship represented the USS Missouri and Iowa. . .

The blue infantry represented known US Marine Corps facilities. . .

The blue planes represented known USAF airbases. . .

The white fighter planes represented known JSDF airbases. . .

The white infantry represented known JSDF army bases. . .

The white ships represented known JSDF naval bases. . .

It was almost time for the General to make his move, there was just one piece missing. . .

The one piece that he believed could make or break this invasion. . .

* * *

December 10, 2009; 0600 local time; temporary JSDF training facility outside Kyoto

Keitaro and the rest of men lined up standing at attention in front of their bunks inside the long, green, canvas tent that was their barracks. Today was going to be different, they were now going to be training seven days a week by a new drill instructor, straight from the USMC training depot at Parris Island. The cloth door opened, revealing one of the most intimidating men Keitaro had ever seen.

He was dressed in olive green pants which had creases running down his legs at the front and back, he wore an olive green coat with pins and ribbons on his left breast, on top of his head he wore a stiff brimmed campaign hat (2) with a black USMC insignia. Every feature on his face shouted "discipline", from his chiseled jawline to his eyes that could bore right into a man and make even the toughest recruit curl up into a fetal position and beg for his mommy. He walked into the tent with a stride that would impress a nazi. Several recruits tried to stand up straighter as he opened his mouth. His voice seemed to reverberate on its own as he spoke.

"I am Gunnery Sergeant Granger your new drill instructor. From now on you will speak only when spoken to and the last words out of your filthy sewers will be 'DI-san'. Do you maggots understand that?"

"Yes! DI-san!" The recruits responded in unison.

"Bullshit! I can't hear you. Sound off like you got a pair!"

"YES! DI-SAN!" The recruits shouted.

"If you ladies leave this camp, if you survive recruit training, you will be lean. . .

you will be mean. . .

but most importaintly. . .

YOU WILL BE GREEN!!"

* * *

December 17, 2009; 1030 local time; temporary JSDF training facility outside Kyoto

Keitaro and his bunkmates were out on running in formation, two men abreast and ten men long. Keitaro was behind Shirai and Kentaro. In front of the lines of men ran Sgt. Granger, who started shouting an American running cadence, which some of the men repeated.

_Up in the mornin' way too soon_

_Hungry as hell by noon_

_Went to the mess hall on my knees_

_Sayin' "Cow-killer, cow-killer feed me please"_

_He looked at me with a big ol' grin,_

_"If ya' wanna be a leatherneck_ (3)_ ya' gotta be thin!"_

They ran all the way to the obstacle course, Granger moved to the side and shouted, "GO!"

The first man in the two lines ran towards the first obsacle. They climbed up and over the wall using the rope, jumping over the top.

"GO!" shouted Granger and the next set of men climbed over the wall while the first worked their way up and over an oversized ladder.

"COME ON! MY GRANNY CAN CLIMB OBSTACLES FASTER THAN YOU!" Granger shouted.

As Keitaro waited for his turn to do the course he couldn't help but wonder what kind of a grandma DI-san had; because no matter how fast they ran, no matter how high they jumped, no matter how many chin-ups they could do, DI-san's grandmother was always ten times better.

"What are you waiting for soldier, GO! GO! GO!" Granger shouted, shocking Keitaro back into reality. Keitaro ran forward and started climbing the obstacle. He jumped down and ran toward the next obstacle. He climbed the oversized ladder and made his way over to the next obstacle: a rope hung over a mud hole. He swung across the mud pit on the rope before running over to the chin-up bar. After three chin-ups he ran to "The Net". The Net was a huge grid of barbed wire that was strung across eighty square feet on sticks suspended about eighteen inches off the ground. Keitaro got down on his stomach an crawled under the sharp wires before running and joining Shirai and Kentaro at the end of the course.

"I don't know. . . if I can take. . . much more of this." Keitaro said breathing heavily.

"Come on ladies!" Shouted Granger. "Get those sushi-eating asses of yours over that obstacle!"

* * *

January 10, 2010; 1300 local time; firing range twenty miles outside Kyoto

Twenty men crouched in their places holding their recently issued Howa Type 89 assault rifles in ready position. In front of them there was a line of twenty pop-up targets set up against a hillside in front of a deep trench. There were people inside the trench who would set up the targets and take them down, protected from the bullets by the trench.

"Commence fire!" Granger shouted.

The air was soon filled with the sounds of gunfire as the men fired at the torso shaped targets. Keitaro finshed his group and waited for evaluation. He scored thirty nine points out of fifty, hitting center mass on several occasions.

"Not bad soldier, I think we finally found something you're good at." Granger said.

Keitaro smiled, remembering hand-to-hand training. That was not the most pleasant week in his life. He kept getting thrown into the air every time he was hit hard, eventually he learned not to get hit at all and became one of the best at dodging in his bunkhouse.

That night Keitaro and company stood next to their beds in the bunkhouse, rifles in hand. Sgt. Granger walked down the aisle.

"Tonight you will be sleeping with your rifles. You will give your rifle a girls name, because this is the only (exemplative deleted) you people are going to get. Your days of finger (exemplative deleted)-ing old Mary Jane Rottencrotch through her pretty pink panties are over! You are married to this piece, this weapon of metal and plastic and you will be faithful!"

The men layed on top of their beds with their rifles six inches from their chests.

"Pray!" Granger shouted.

The entire bunkhouse recited the creed taught to them by the DI.

_This is my rifle. T__here are many like it. B__ut this one is mine. . ._

_My rifle is my best friend. I__t is my life. __I must master it as I must master my life. . ._

_Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. . ._

_I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. . ._

_Before Kami-sama I sware this creed. My rifle and I are defenders of my country. We are masters of our enemy. We are the saviours of my life. . ._

_So be it until there is no enemy, but peace!_

_Amen._

Granger exited the tent with a "Goodnight ladies."

* * *

February 1, 2010; 1805 local time; bus stop outside Hinata

Keitaro, Kentaro, and Shirai stepped off the bus as honorary marines. They wore their olive green uniforms with pride, they had even been given a small "eagle, globe and anchor" (marine corps insignia) pin to wear on their lapel and one month's leave.

Keitaro climbed the giant staircase of the Hinata Inn and walked into the front door. He smelled something, something that he had not smelled in a long time. . . something that made his mouth water. . .

He smelled pork, Shinobu's pork fried rice. . .

Keitaro unknowingly walked into the kitchen where saw Shinobu preparing dinner and the rest of the girls (except for Su) sitting around the table.

Shinobu looked up and screamed "Aaaaaaaaauuuuuuu! Sempaiiiiii you're back! I missed you so much!"

The other girls looked at Keitaro, he looked different. He had become leaner, stronger, more muscular, he also walked with an air of authority and self-confidence.

"Is that Urashima?" Motoko asked.

"Kei-kun looks different." Mutsumi said.

This look lasted until Su hit him in the back of the head with a flying kick, sending him down to the ground. He accidentally grabbed Shinobu's skirt on the way down.

"There's the Keitaro we know and love." Kitsune said before downing a glass of sake.

"Keitaro you pervert! Let go of Shinobu!" Naru shouted as she prepared a punch.

"It was an accident!" Keitaro said as he let go of Shinobu and stood up just in time to see Naru's fist. He leaned to his left as the punch sailed past his head. He spent the next five minutes frantically ducking, leaning, weaving, and jumping out of the way. Finally Keitaro caught Naru's fist in his hand, holding it in an iron grip.

"Don't touch me you pervert!" Naru said.

"It was an accident!" Keitaro said.

"Unhand her Urashima; you vile, lecherous, perverted, weakling!" Motoko said as she took a slash at him with her bokken.

Keitaro let go of Naru and ducked under the wooden blade. Naru and everyone else were shocked by what happened next.

Motoko raised the bokken above her head and brought it down, but before she could hit Keitaro he caught it in midair with his right hand. He wrenched the weapon from Motoko's grip and threw it away. He then assumed a fighting stance hands in front of his body one hand in a fist and another with his middle and index fingers extended. Motoko charged at him with several different attacks, but each time Keitaro easily dodged or blocked the blows.

Naru was suprised that Keitaro would be stupid enough to go up against Motoko.

Kitsune scratched her head, took a good look at her empty sake cup, put the cup down and took a big drink straight out of the bottle. Clearly she was either too drunk or not drunk enough, because it looked like Keitaro was actually holding his own against Motoko. What was more disturbing, Keitaro seemed to be enjoying it.

Shinobu was frozen in horror, afraid that Motoko would hurt Sempai, or that Sempai would hurt Motoko.

Koalla was excited, this new Keitaro was fun.

Mutsumi simply fainted.

Motoko swung her fist at Keitaro, but hit only air. She looked behind her expecting an attack, but there was nothing. She looked on the floor and saw Keitaro flat on his face. Keitaro quickly got up and brushed himself off.

"Whew, that was fun, wanna do it again sometime?" He said.

"BAKA!" Naru shouted, giving him a Naru punch to the back of his head sending him flying through the walls and into the sky.

"How did Urashima get so strong?" Motoko asked herself, looking at her fist.

"I wanna fight Keitaro next!" Su said, doing cartwheels around the kitchen.

* * *

February 10, 2010; 1404 local time; Shenyang China

It was time, General Qing looked at the map once again. The "Shu Long" (4) project was complete. All his pieces were in place.

"Commence operation: Black Lotus." The General ordered. "Tonight, China will take her rightful place as ruler of Asia."

* * *

(1) Qing (pronounced "ching"): chinese word meaning strong or violent

(2) Campaign hat: also known as a smokey bear due to its resemblance to the hat Smokey the bear wears

(3) Leatherneck: nickname for Marine, it originated from the leather collars Marines used to wear.

(4) Shu Long: literally "Iron Dragon"


	4. The Gathering of the Clouds

A few words from the author: Thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated (seriously).

Notes on the text: much of this is made up (specifically the parts about the Reagan) and should not be treated as fact.

"English"

"Japanese or Chinese depending on context"

Enjoy

* * *

February 10, 2010; 2005 local time; Undisclosed locations in Eastern China

The time was now, after months of preparation. Operation: Black Lotus was launched.

Airbases all over Eastern China prepared for Phase 1.

The pilots climbed into the cockpits of their aircraft and put on their helmets. They pressed a few buttons and their instrument panels lit up. The pilots prepared for takeoff. The jets warmed up and taxi'd towards the runway. Men with lightsticks guided the first planes to launch. They knew their target. . .

The USS Ronald Reagan. . .

* * *

February 10, 2010; 2305 local time; USS Ronald Reagan, Sea of Japan

The USS Ronald Reagan was floating just outside Japanese waters with her battlegroup, the seas were calm and the stars were out.

The Carrier's bridge was almost desterted, most of the crew was sleeping. The instrument panels shone like the night sky of some distant world, occasionally making beeping sounds. A young ensign yawned as he looked at his radar screen. He didn't understand why he was even there, nothing was ever out in the middle of the night.

_Ping_

A plane appeared on the radar, the ensign recovered from the shock, he looked at the radar again.

_Ping_

Another plane appeared on the radar. The ensign was about to see if the radar needed to be recalibrated when his eardrums were assaulted by hundreds of "pings". The screen showed a huge mass of planes getting bigger by the second. The ensign picked up a phone and called the captain.

"Sir, we have a big problem." He said.

The captain came and saw the screen.

"Oh. . . my. . . god." He said as he saw the ever growing mass of planes.

He looked out one of the windows and saw what could only be described as an airborne armada. One of the planes launched a large missle at the USS McCampbell. The missle flew about six feet above the water and hit the destroyer, making a huge fireball. More missles followed, hitting the ship and sending more fireballs into the air.

"Scramble the fighers! I want every plane off this boat!"

The crewmembers were roused from their beds by a loud siren.

"BATTLE STATIONS! BATTLE STATIONS! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"

Sailors, pilots and other personel were rushing this way and that down the crowded corridors of the Carrier.

Within minutes the first F-18 Hornets were airborne.

The radios were alive with communications chatter.

"We have at least two-hundred bandits (1)."

"Fist squadron, form up on me."

"Engage!"

"Fist three, Fox two (2)"

An F-18 fired a missle at one of the many planes, hitting with grim accuracy sending it flaming down to the sea.

"Fist squadron is airborne, captain"

"Eagle squadron, form up, follow my lead!"

"Eagle three, Bandits on your six"

"I can't shake him."

"There's too many of them."

"Bandits at three o'clock"

"AAAAAUUUGGGHHH!"

"Eagle squadron is in the air, sir."

"My wingman is down, did anyone see a chute?"

"Stinger two, Fox three (3)"

"Eagle squadron, concentrate your fire on the Flounders"

"They're everywhere!"

"Stinger four, bandits on your tail."

"Stinger squadron is airborne."

"I'm hit! Stinger four down and out!"

"Bandits at twelve o'clock"

"They're too close for missles, switching to guns."

"Sir, we've lost most of Fist squadron."

Three JH-7 fighter/bombers (also known as "Flounders") flew in towards the carrier, one wing abreast. They released six missles.

"Sir we have incoming!"

"Activate Phalanx (4)"

Gatling cannons with white domes on top of them started spewing hot tungsten and depleted uranium at the incoming missles, destroying one. . .

two. . .

three. . .

four. . .

five. . .

The sixth missle hit the control tower of the carrier sending flames through the bridge.

"MY EYES AAAAAHH!"

"IT BURNS! IT BURNS!"

"MEDIC!"

"GET IT OFF MEEEE!"

"Flounders coming in for another pass!"

"Eagle two, Fox three"

"Stinger six, bandits approaching at four o'clock"

"I'm hit, I'm hit!"

Firemen on the deck rushed to the tower and tried to combat the blaze, one man whose clothes were on fire accidentally ran overboard.

"Reagan has been hit! I repeat Reagan has been hit! If anyone is out there, please respond!"

Three more "Flounders" made a pass at the carrier launching six more missles. The remaining Phalanx units only managed to destroy two before the missles impacted the control tower.

"The control tower has been disabled!"

"Bandits on my tail! Somebody get em off me!"

Six "Flounders" flew over the deck of the carrier and dropped bombs on the deck, piercing the airstrip, detonating on the floor below and blowing massive holes in the flightdeck.

"Flight deck is OOC (5), I repeat OOC!"

"Eagle ten, going down!"

"Red Cock squadron (6) is grounded!"

Twelve more "Flounders" flew in launching more missles at the carrier, this time hitting below the flight deck. The missles penetrated the hull and reached the nuclear reactor control room, killing those inside.

"We're lost the control room, the reactor is in danger of becoming unstable!"

"Drop all control rods."

Two sailors ran through the flames toward the insturment panel. One of them tried lowering the control rods from the instrument panel, but to no avail.

"The controls are not responding"

"Activate SCRAM (7) system"

"It's not working!"

"The reactor is becoming unstable! We could have a meltdown if we dont do something!" The other sailor said.

"Activate safety protocol Beta"

"But then we won't be able to move."

"Activate safety protocol Beta. That's an order, sailor!" 

The sailors looked around for the key to activate the protocol, they found it around the neck of another dead sailor. One of them inserted the key into the hole and turned it while the other punched a numerical code into the keypad. A machine severed the cords holding the carrier's control rods in place, dropping them into the reactor. The reactor cooled down to almost nothing within an hour, leaving the ship stranded in the water.

The enemy fighters had accomplished their objectives and turned around, leaving only twelve Hornets, a wrecked destroyer and a stranded carrier behind.

* * *

February 10, 2010; 2356 local time; JSDF Early Warning Center

"Regan has been hit! I repeat Reagan has been hit! If anyone is out there, please respond!" The radio crackled before going dead.

The two com-officers looked at each other with horror, they had been monitoring the communications from the Americans since they arrived.

"Call the Prime Minister." One said as the other picked up the phone and dialed.

* * *

February 11, 2010; 0025 local time; Hinata Inn

There was a knock at the door, Keitaro heard it from his room. He fumbled around for his glasses and put them on. Yawning, he stumbled down the stairs and towards the door.

"Hello?" Keitaro said as he rubbed his eye.

"Sir, I'm from the JSDF. You've been activated, you are to report to your post at Kyoto immidiately." The man at the door said.

"Wait, I still have two weeks leave!" Keitaro said.

"Not anymore." The man said. "The USS Ronald Reagan has been attacked by an unknown force. We're on high alert. Now come with me."

"Can't this wait until morning?"

"No, now come with me."

"Can I at least get my uniform."

"Yes, but don't take too long."

Keitaro went up to his room, took out a pen and paper from his desk and wrote a few goodbye notes.

He put on his uniform and took a small picture of him and Naru when they went to Kyoto. He placed the picture in his pocket and went down the stairs again. Keitaro put the notes on the doors of some of the girl's rooms before leaving with the man.

In a dark corner of the livingroom a pair of small beady black eyes watched him leave.

* * *

February 11, 2010; 0830 local time; Hinata Inn

Naru yawned and stretched before getting dressed. As she put her panties on she looked over to the hole in the floor expecting Keitaro's head to pop out any second. She finished dressing herself and went downstairs. She stopped on the second floor and peered into Keitaro's room. Keitaro's bed was still out and there was a pair of pants and shirt on the bed. She was about to go downstairs when she felt a small weight on her head, she looked up and saw the small yellow face of Tama-chan.

"Hey there girl, have you seen Keitaro?" Naru asked

The turtle nodded. "Myu"

"Where?"

"Myu Myuuuuu"

Tama-chan started flying upstairs with Naru following close behind. The pacific hotsprings turtle flew over to the door of Naru's room and pointed at a piece of paper with a yellow flipper.

"Hmmm, What's this?" Naru said as she picked up the paper.

_Dear Naru,_

_By the time you read this, I will be in Kyoto. __I have been called to emergency duty due to __a heightened state of affairs._

_I have gotten Haruka to cover again as manager. If all goes well, I should be back again by the end of next month._

_All my love,_

_-Keitaro_

_P.S. Please make sure Su dosen't blow up the Inn while I'm gone._

"He's gone." She said, her eyes watered slightly.

Motoko heard Naru saying this and came out to investigate. She found a note on her door as well.

_Dear Motoko,_

_By the time you read this, I will be in Kyoto. A recent event has caused me to be activated._

_Haruka will be covering as manager again. If everything works out, I should be back by the end of next month._

_Sincerely,_

_-Keitaro_

_P.S. If the worst should happen, I am counting on you to keep everyone safe._

"Urashima is gone." she said to nobody in particular. She then heard the sad wails of Shinobu, she ran down to see what was going on and found Shinobu crying and holding her note.

"Sempai (sniff) left, he didn't (sniff) say goodbye." Shinobu said.

"It is alright, Urashima will be back soon; and besides, do you think that he would want you to cry while he is away?" The swordswoman said, "I have to go train now, and you should go and make breakfast."

Shinobu wiped some tears off her face and walked to the kitchen.

* * *

February 11, 2010; 1905 local time; Shenyang, China

General Qing looked at the strategy table, the airstrike on the Reagan was a complete success. Intelligence reports indicated that her reactor was offline, She couldn't launch planes or send transmissions and her escorts were either sunk or unable to function. There was now a clear path

He turned to his subordinates, "Initiate Phase 2." He said.

One man got on the telephone and dialed the number for the airbase command in Northeast China, a second man called a Naval base Liaoning, another man called Bejing to inform the Chairman, a fourth man called Shanghai, and another man got onto his computer and started typing.

"I'm through the firewalls, security programs are disabled." The man at the computer said.

"Upload the virus." The general ordered.

"Virus upload commencing." The man at the computer said as a bar appeared on the computer screen.

"Good" said the general.

"The transport planes will be ready to deploy in two hours, the strike fighters are already airborne." The first man said.

"Upload thrity three percent complete."

"The _Bai Duan _will be seaworthy in one half-hour." the second man said.

"Upload fifty six percent complete."

"The Chairman has been informed, he will make his statement one hour after the virus has been uploaded." the third man said.

"Upload eighty five percent complete."

"The transport ships will be ready for deployment in one hour." the fourth man said.

_The virus has been uploaded, general_. . .

And with those words, the greatest struggle Japan would ever face began. . .

* * *

(1) Bandit: Hostile plane

(2) Fox two: code name for Sidewinder missle

(3) Fox three: code name for ARAAM missle

(4) Phalanx: a close in defence system, it consists of a gatling gun that can shoot down incoming missles.

(5) OOC: Out Of Commission

(6) Fist, Eagle, Stinger, and Red Cock (not that kind of cock, you pervert) are the radio call names for the strike groups onboard the USS Reagan

(7) SCRAM: Safety Control Rod Axe Man, a system that drops all the control rods into the reactor, which cools it down dramatically.


	5. Death from Above

A few words from the author: readers are appreciated, reviewers are appreciated even more.

Warning: this fanfiction contains lead, a substance known to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm

"Chinese or Japanese depending on context"

"English"

_Italics are for emphasis_

Enjoy

* * *

February 11, 2010; 0705 local time (1); Oval Office, Washington D.C., USA

The president was sitting in his office doing some official paperwork when the phone rang.

"Hello?" the president said as he picked up the phone. "Wait. . . slow down. . . what happened? WHAT! . . THE REAGAN? . . Good God! Assemble the joint chiefs for an emergency meeting! . . . How long before the press picks this up? THEY ALREADY HAVE!? DAMMIT! WHY THE HELL DIDN'T I HEAR ABOUT THIS EARLIER?!"

The prestident pounded his desk with a clenched fist.

* * *

February 11, 2010; 1930 local time; Chinese Nuclear Launch Control Room

The Chinese technician glanced around him, the other people in the room were doing their various jobs. There were two other men next to him working on their computers. Behind him was a desk where an officer sat with his back to the technician, he was absorbed in his book. His book had a red book jacket and "Sayings of Chairman Mao" was written on the jacket in gold script. The book cover was coming off and through it the words Ha-y Po-t-er could be seen. Two guards stood at the black steel door of the grey concrete room on the Technician's left. They wore olive green uniforms and held QBZ-95 assault rifles.

The technician moved his mouse over to an icon marked "The Life and Times of Mao Zedong", he scrolled down to an icon marked "Zork" in English. A small black window appeared after he clicked the icon.

_You are in an open field west of a big white house with a boarded front door._

_There is a small mailbox here._

Open mailbox

_Opening the mailbox reveals:_

_A leaflet_

Get leaflet

The technician continued playing for a while when the officer looked up from his book and saw the screen. He would have chastized his subordinate for playing a game, but he wanted to find out why Snape was dancing around while wearing a pink tutu (1).

up

_It is pitch dark. You are likely to be eaten by a grue._

south

_Oh no! You walked into the slavering fangs of-_

As the text appeared, his entire screen went black. The technician panicked and started pressing buttons on the keyboard and then press the restart button on the computer. None of it worked. The other two computers went black too. The officer quickly put down his book and came over to the computers.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"I don't know, the computer is not responding." The technician answered desparately pushing buttons on the computer.

As if he had said a magic word, the screen turned a sky blue and the most horrible thing that could ever be imagined appeared on the screen. . .

The face of Hello Kitty. . .

* * *

February 11, 2010; 0900 local time; Strategic Planning Room, Pentagon, USA

"Gentlemen, thank you for coming on such short notice. No doubt you've already been briefed on the situation. We believe the attack was done by the Chinese, but we have no proof. Communications from the Reagan suggested that there were at least two hundred enemy aircraft. The only country that could mobilize that kind of aerial assault is China. I want all American forces in the western Pacific to move to DEFCON 1. Call Japan, tell them we're sending three more carrier groups. I want all the US military units in Japan and the Korean DMZ to mobilize and get ready for the worst. Prepare a declaration of war for congress should the worst happen."

The president motioned to one of the secret service agents, who checked the area for bugs or observers. He nodded to the president. The president continued quietly:

"I want two Ohio class submarines armed with nuclear missiles I want one to be in strike range of Beijing and the other one in strike range of Pyongyang."

There was a knock on the door, a secretary entered. "Mr. President there's something that you should see."

"What is it?"

"Langley just finished with the translations, the Chinese chairman gave this speech about thirty minutes ago."

The secretary put a disc into the TV monitor on the wall of the room and a picture of Chairman Lao appeared on the screen. He addressed a large crowd. According to the CIA translators, the Chinese nuclear defense grid was hacked and the launch codes for China's nuclear arsenal had been stolen. The Chinese had evidence to blame Japan saying that the Hello Kitty company was behind the virus. If the codes were not returned and the people responsible were not handed over to the Chinese authorities, the Chinese would take them by force.

"The Japanese government denies any involvement with the intrusion. They claim that if it was someone in Japan, they were working independently and without the knowledge or approval of the Diet (Japanese parliament)."

"I have to agree Mr. President. The security systems on those computers are some of the best in the world. The only way to take them down would be to have an intimate knowledge of how it runs."

"Are you saying that this was an inside job?"

"It's a possibility Mr. President. The Japanese also intercepted communications chatter from the forces that attacked the Reagan, the transmissions were in Chinese. They also recently intercepted a heavily encrypted transmission from Shenyang to airbase command in Northeastern China."

"God help us." The president said as he digested the new information. "I want that battle chatter translated; if it is indeed from China, I want to be the first to know. Call Beijing, I want to speak to the Chairman about this."

* * *

February 11, 2010; 2200 local time; Airbases in Northeastern China

Eighteen thousand paratroopers got out of their bunks.

They filed past the weapons racks and picked up their weapons and gear. They stood in formation, nine men across, ten men down.

The solders stood in line with their ten man squads. Five of the men were armed with QBZ-95 assault rifles. The weapons were made out of green plastic; they had a bullpup configuration, the trigger mechanism was in front of the black banana-shaped magazine. Two of them carried QBB-95 light support weapons, they were basically the same as the assault rifles but with a heavier barrel and a large drum magazine. Two of them carried Type-05 sub-machine guns and PF-89 anti-tank weapons. The last man carried a QBU-88 sniper rifle; which also resembled the assault rifle, but had a very long barrel and a straight magazine.

The ninety man formations filed into the transport planes and sat down. The four turboprop engines coughed and sputtered as the propellers started up. Men with lightsticks guided the planes as they taxi'd to the runway and took off into the night.

* * *

February 11, 2010; 2330 local time; Japanese Early-Warning center, Western Hokkaido, Japan

Two communications officers watched the radar screens. Their nerves were stretched to the limit, if the Chinese could attack and disable one of the most powerful ships in the world, what would stop them from going after Japan next.

_Ping_

A plane appeared on the radar screens coming from the northwest.

_Ping_

Another plane appeared coming from the same area. The first com-officer picked up the phone and was about to dial. . .

_Ping_

The second com-officer looked at the radar screen

_Ping_

"What is it?" asked the second officer

_Ping. . . Ping, Ping, Ping. . ._

"What the hell? I think we have a problem" said the first.

_PingPingPingPingPing. . ._

"Call Tokyo!" The second com-officer shouted over the almost incessant pinging as the giant mass of planes on the radar continued to grow.

The first com-officer dialed the phone, "Hello, this is Early Warning station five. We have detected a huge mass of planes heading toward-"

The phone cut out. The com-officer pressed redial button, nothing. He dialed again, nothing. He looked at the radar screen, nothing. "They knocked out our communications and radar!" The second com-officer said.

The first com-officer looked outside. There were so many red, green and white navigation lights from planes that it looked like a portion of the night sky coming at them. The second com-officer looked outside and gaped at what he saw.

Kami-sama help us all. . .

* * *

February 11, 2010; 1145 local time; Strategic Planning Room, Pentagon, USA

President Shrub was worried. He knew that something was wrong. The joint chiefs of staff were sitting around the table discussing various outcomes and strategies. He didn't want to plunge the country into another war, but by the look of things that might be what he would have to do.

The phone rang and the President picked it up.

"Mr. President, we have the Chairman on the line."

"Good, put him on."

"Mr. President, this is Chairman Lao. I understand that you wanted to speak with me."

"Yes, I would like to hear what happened to the USS Ronald Reagan."

"Why Mr. President, whatever do you mean?"

"At about midnight local time, the USS Ronald Reagan and her battlegroup were attacked by an aerial wing of about two hundred planes. The Reagan was disabled and most of her escorts were sunk."

"Are you implying Mr. President, that China was behind this?"

"Yes."

"I will be frank with you Mr. President. We did attack your ship, it stood between us and Japan."

"What do you mean?"

"It was in our way. We needed to remove it to make a clear path for the invasion."

"Invasion?"

"Yes, I intend to invade and take over Japan. For too long the United States has had influence over our region and used Japan as your puppet. That ends now. 

"What about the soldiers already stationed in Japan?"

"If they don't surrender, they will be killed."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I know you won't do a thing about it."

"And why won't I?"

"Because Mr. President, I have two submarines in the Atlantic. These submarines are each armed with 13 strategic (2) nuclear missiles If you send one single soldier, declare war, tell the American public about this, or try to get the United Nations involved; I will order the submarines to level the Eastern Seaboard. New York, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia and even Washington D.C. itself."

"You wouldn't. . ."

"Would I?"

The Chairman hung up the phone and sat back in his chair. The Americans would take the bait, the truth was that he had no submarines in the Atlantic; but the Americans didn't know that and by the time they found out, it would be too late. . .

* * *

(1) The book he's reading is a cheap Chinese knockoff that probably contains harmful chemicals and is unfit for human consumption.

(2) Strategic nuclear missiles have a warhead in them that is similar to the Hiroshima or Nagasaki bombs.


	6. The Morning After

A few words from the author: readers are appreciated, reviewers are appreciated even more.

Please note that some of the parts in this story are somewhat improbable.

Allergy Warning: this fanfiction was produced in a factory that processes fruit and nut products.

**"Chinese"**

"Japanese"

"English"

Enjoy

* * *

February 11, 2010; 1945 local time; Air Force One

The President, Joint chiefs of staff, and the Cabinet were sitting around a table discussing their options when an aide opened the door.

"Mr. President?"

"Yes?" The president responded.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your meeting, but we have Prime Minister Akamatsu on the phone."

"Put him through."

"Yes sir"

The aide left the room and the president picked up the phone.

"President Shrub here."

"Mr. President, we have a large problem."

"How large?"

"At around midnight our time, Sapporo and Chitose were attacked by the Chinese."

"What? How?"

"The survivors report that it was an airborne assault with heavy fighter cover. Currently the Chinese have taken both cities, the airport, and are moving south."

"Good lord. Are you asking for military aid?"

"Not yet, we may be able to handle the Hokkaido situation on our own. . .

but I fear that Hokkaido is just the beginning. . ."

* * *

February 12, 2010; 0745 local time; Japanese submarine _Hikari_, somewhere in the East China Sea

The claustraphobic bridge of the submarine was a bustle of activity. Each sailor manned their post and did their duty. Captian Tokuhiro had just recieved news of the attack and his nerves were stretched; it could be said that they were stretched to the limit, but that would not do it proper justice. A more appropreate description might be that his nerves were like a small rubber band that had been attached a tree in Alaska and pulled all the way to a random telephone pole in Egypt. He was just about to go and get another cup of coffee in the mess hall when he was approached by a sonar operator.

"Captain?"

"WHAT?" The man snapped back as the rubber band that was his last nerve broke and shot towards Egypt with a speed that would make Chuck Yeager(1) say "Damn, what the hell was that?".

The bridge fell silent, the quiet beeping and whirring of the machinery were the only sounds. The captain regained his composure before clearing his throat and asked, "What is it sailor?"

"Captain, we're picking up a large amount of noise coming from the south, it sounds like a large shipping fleet."

"How large?"

"We estimate over fifty vessels, but we can't be sure."

The captain dismissed the seaman and turned to the navigation officer.

"Plot an intercept course"

He then turned to the dive officer.

"Take her down to periscope depth."

He turned to a communications officer.

"Contact Maritime Defense command, tell them we are in pursuit of an unidentified fleet of ships and have someone from the mess hall get me some damn coffee!"

* * *

Febrary 13, 2010; 1009 local time; Outskirts of Kyoto

Keitaro scooped another load of dirt into a sandbag held by Shirai. He and his friends had been working overtime ever since the base had recieved word of the invasion on Hokkaido. Keitaro found himself becoming very nervous, although war had been in the back of his mind ever since he had arrived in Kyoto, it never went very far from the back burner. Now that Hokkaido had been invaded, the war started to hit home, hard.

By now most people knew what the "tsunami defences" really were, but the majority weren't going to complain and those who did, were ignored. The main roads into Kyoto were being fortified and reserves were being called up. Concertina wire(2) was strung in front of the positions, buildings of strategic importance in the city were requisitioned by the government and used as strongpoints, and the "signal flare launchers" were supplemented with AA rockets.

Keitaro briefly wondered if Motoko's sister would show up to offer her support, after all their family had sworn to protect Kyoto; but quickly dismissed the thought after he accidently dumped a load of dirt all over Shirai's head.

* * *

February 13, 2010; 1509 local time; Temporary GDF training facility

"Move! Move! MOVE!"

"Hostiles, closing on the left flank!"

"Gimme some suppression fire!"

"I'm hit!"

Keitaro and Haitani dragged Shirai back behind a crude sandbag wall.

"You really should lose some weight Shirai." Haitani said as they ducked behind the wall.

Keitaro raised his rifle and fired several bursts at the advancing squad of men. Haitani did the same.

"I'm hit!" Haitani slumped backward on the ground.

Keitaro continued firing before crouching behind the sandbag wall.

Keitaro spoke into his headset. "Echo four-two to all friendly units! Echo four-two to all friendly units! My squad is pinned down by enemy fire! We have taken heavy casualties, requesting assistance!"

Keitaro kept his head down and fired randomly over the wall with his rifle, looked to his right and saw an enemy pointing a rifle at him.

"Game over" the man said as he pulled the trigger.

* * *

(1) Chuck Yeager was the first aviator to fly faster than the speed of sound.

(2) Concertina wire: Razor wire that comes in coils for easy storage and deployment.


	7. The Coming Darkness

A few words from the author: readers are appreciated, reviewers are appreciated even more. Much appreciation to my Beta-reader, Bladed Alchemist

Please note that some of the parts in this story are somewhat improbable, creative liberties were taken. (does anyone else get the feeling that I'm being a little over-ambitious?)

Side effects of this include: nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, abdominal cramping, and inability to say the word "Rhinoceros". Fanfiction is not for everyone, consult your doctor before reading.

**"Chinese"**

"Japanese"

"English"

**Time shift** (backwards or forwards)

Enjoy

* * *

February **12**, 2010; 0803 local time; House of Councilors chamber, Tokyo

The large room was abuzz with conversation as the politicians exchanged worried chatter. The talking subsided as Ken Akamatsu (1), Prime Minister of Japan took the podium.

The prime minister cleared his throat and began speaking. "This emergency meeting of The House of Councilors is now in session." He paused before continuing. " Minister of Defense, Sadamoto Yoshiyuki will fill you in on the details."

A man who was sitting next to him stood up and took the podium. "As you all know around midnight, Sapporo was attacked and overrun by Chinese paratroopers. I have a presentation that might shed some light on our situation. Hiromu-san, if you please."

The lights dimmed as a screen dropped from the celing. A map of Hokkaido appeared on the screen. Sapporo, Chitose and the surrounding areas were stained red.

"Gentlemen, as you can see from the map, in less than a day we have lost a major city and hundreds square kilometers of the surrounding territory. Estimates indicate that about seven thousand of our men have been either killed or captured. Currently we are in the process of regrouping for a counter-offensive. Unfortunately as you all know, military actions require the approval of the Council."

The lights came back on and the screen returned to its original place. The prime minister took the podium again. "We shall put it to vote, all in favor of military actions in defense of Hokkaido say 'Hai'"

The room erupted in a chorus of "Hai" as all but twelve of the counselors voted for the measure.

"Then it's official. As of right now, we are in a state of national emergency." The prime minister said. _And Kami-sama help us all_

--

February 13, 2010; 1259 local time; Japanese submarine _Hikari_, Sea of Japan

Captain Iga Tokuhiro looked into the periscope. It was just as the sonar operator had said, a large fleet moving in. He turned to the dive officer.

"Take her to the surface." He said before turning to the communications officer. "Let them know they're entering Japanese waters. I want their origins, cargoes, and destinations."

The submarine breached the surface.

--

February 13, 2010; 1319 local time; Chinese warship _Bai Duan_, Sea of Japan.

**"Commander, we've spotted a Japanese submarine, range fourty kilometers, bearing one hundred degrees to port."**

Commander Xiong turned to the seaman. **"Tell the communications officers to prepare to recieve transmissions."**

**"Yes, commander."**The seaman said, rushing to carry out the orders. Five minutes later Xiong received news that the _Hikari_ had given them their message.

**"Tell them that we are a convoy of aid coming from The Republic of China (Taiwan), we request safe passage to Maizuru."**

**"Yes sir."**

The seaman was about to leave when Xiong motioned for him to stay.

**"And prep the helicopters for launch. . ."**

--

February 13, 2010; 1345 local time; Japanese submarine _Hikari_, Sea of Japan.

"Taiwan. . ." Tokuhiro repeated as he looked into the periscope. The ships were flying Taiwanese flags, but he had recognised some of the warships as being Chinese.

"I don't buy it," One of the seamen said.

"Me neither, contact Maritime Defense Command, and load the torpedo tubes" The captain said. "Battle stations!"

The orders were relayed and the men were in position. As another officer looked into the periscope again he thought he saw people moving on the decks of one of the warships.

"Captain! The fleet is preparing helicopters for launch. They appear to be Ka-27 'Helix' helicopters_._"

Tokuhiro was visibly worried, he turned to his communications officer. "Contact Maritime Defense Command, tell them we have a hostile fleet inbound heading for Maizuru." The captain then turned to the dive officer. "After our transmission, I want this boat under the water as fast as possible. Fire all torpedoes!"

In short order the message was sent and the submarine began its descent. Mere moments after the dive was initiated, the helicopters began their attack run.

"Enemy torpedoes inbound!!" A seaman shouted.

"Evasive action!" Tokuhiro shouted "Deploy countermeasures!!"

"Torpedos, one hundred meters and closing."

"Brace for impact!!"

The first two torpedoes hit the stern of the submarine causing a massive explosion.

"The stern is hit, we're taking on water!!"

The second volley hit the submarine on the port side. The explosions rocked the submarine violently, Tokuhiro was knocked off his feet. He hit his head hard on the periscope. A seaman rushed over to the captain's side. Blood was leaking out of the massive wound in his head.

"Abandon. . . ship. . ." Tokuhiro murmured before losing consciousness.

"Abandon ship! Abandon ship!" The intercoms shouted as another volley of torpedoes impacted the submarine. Splitting the vessel in half. The two pieces of the submarine were completely under the water and sinking fast.

Of the seventy members of the Hikari's crew, only three made it to the surface. A helicopter picked them up and they were taken on board one of the warships before being thrown into the brig.

--

February 14, 2010; 949 local time; Temporary GDF training facility, Kyoto

Keitaro sat down at the telephone. After two days of waiting, he was finally able to call home and tell everyone that he would be staying in Kyoto indefinitely. The phone rang twice before it was answered by Haruka.

"Hinata Dorm, Haruka speaking."

"Hi, Aunt Haruka, it's Keitaro."

Haruka ignored the offensive term and responded. "What's going on? I saw the news about Hokkaido, you aren't going over there are you?"

"No, but they extended my stay here in Kyoto indefinitely."

"That's too bad." Haruka said as Shinobu walked out of the kitchen, finished with the dishes from lunch. "but at least you won't be deployed."

"Who's that?" The youngest Hinata resident asked.

"Is that Su?" Keitaro asked, hearing a voice in the background.

"No, it's Shinobu." Haruka answered.

"Tell her thanks for the food she sent." Keitaro said.

"Auu, are you talking to Sempai?" Shinobu asked, Haruka nodded.

Shinobu gave Haruka her best puppy-dog eyes and a little lip quiver. The older woman looked at her with a stern face before smiling and handing the phone to the young chef.

"Auu, Sempai! We missed you, what's going on? Are you okay? Are you coming home? Are your shirts clean?" Shinobu asked excitedly.

"Woah, Shinobu slow down. I'm fine, but I won't be able to come home for a long time."

"Sorry Sempai, did you like the food I sent you?"

"I loved it, and so did the guys in my unit. We wish the cook at the base could make food as good as you."

"I'll send you some more as soon as I can, Sempai"

--

February 14, 2010; 1002 local time; JSDF security checkpoint 80 miles outside of Hakodate, Hokkaido

Private Hideki Motosua stood watch inside his booth. The situation had been going from bad, to worse, to undeniably FUBAR (2). The latest counter-attacks failed to even budge the entrenched Chinese forces in Sapporo. This was compounded with the fact that the Chinese now controlled all the territory in and around Sapporo stretching to the east and west shores. The Chinese had effectively cut the island in half and were said to be moving south.

Hideki was shaken from his thinking by the sound of five diesel engines coming from a line of trucks that had stopped at the gate. The guard went out to the lead truck. The man behind the wheel was dressed in a dirty GDF uniform.

"Destination and orders?" the guard asked.

"We're bringing some wounded to Hakodate for treatment."

"Well, I need to see some Identification." Hideki said.

The driver fumbled through his pockets before producing an ID card and handing it to the guard.

"Could you hurry this up." The driver said. "We have wounded in the back."

"Sure, sure" the guard said looking at the picture on the ID, which was different from the man who gave it to him. He looked back up and saw the business end of a silenced pistol staring him in the face. The driver pulled the trigger and a muffled "tic" ended the guard's life. Suddenly ten soldiers in GDF uniforms jumped out of the lead truck and mowed down the three remaining guards. Two of the soldiers then ran into the booth. One looked for anything that might be useful while the other opened the gate. The Chinese special forces detachment continued past the checkpoint.

--

February 14, 2010; 1149 local time; Outskirts of Hakodate, Hokkaido

One of the five trucks stopped several hundred feet from the roadside fortifications (Tsunami bunkers, see chapter 2 for description). Three marksmen got out and took up positions in the treeline. Thirty commandos in dirty GDF uniforms got out of the trucks and began to sneak towards the first bunker. Several of the men carried large boxes. After silently overpowering the guards, the Chinese opened the boxes. The boxes contained gas masks and tear gas pilfered from the Sapporo riot police. They also contained fragmentation and flash grenades pillaged from the Sapporo GDF caches. One of the soldiers reached into a box and pulled out a large set of bolt cutters and a pair of thick rubber gloves. He was about to cut the power line into the bunker when he heard some noise coming from inside.

The door to the pillbox opened up and two GDF soldiers came out. The commando quickly stashed the cutters.

"What's going on?" the first asked.

"We're from Sapporo." A commando said, as he pointed to his comrades.

The men turned around and saw the other Chinese commandos. One of the commandos made a hand signal. Two of the marksmen in the treeline saw the move and drew beads on the two GDF soldiers. With two rather loud rifle reports, the GDF soldiers lay dead.

"**Cut the wires."**A commando ordered as another man picked up the bolt cutters. The wires were severed in short order with a small amount of sparks sprinkling down. Shortly afterward there was a commotion as several soldiers came up to investigate. One of the commandos threw a flash grenade into the bunker, blinding the newcomers before mowing them down with automatic fire.

The Chinese donned the masks and one of them launched a gas grenade into the bunker, about thirty seconds later the sound of coughing could be heard as the gas started spreading through the tunnels (3).

**"Go! Go! Go!"** The lead commando said as the men started entering the bunker.

The men filed into the pillbox and down the tunnel to the underground hallway.

A bunk room stood at the far end of the small subterrainian complex. Four soldiers were roused from their slumber by the commotion outside as people began to cough violently from the gas.

"Gas! Gas!!" One of them shouted as the other three moved to find gas masks. One opened the door to the emergency supply room and started grabbing masks. He threw one to each of his comrades before donning his own and grabbing a Sub-machine Gun.

"Let's go check it out." He said as he worked the bolt, putting a round into the chamber.

The men walked through the thin cloud of gas. The first soldier saw a man lying on the ground trying to breathe. His bloodshot eyes were filled with tears as he coughed.

"What happened?" The first soldier said as he knelt down next to the man.

"(hack). . . Gas (cough). . . (wheeze)"

The first soldier turned to one of his companions, "Get this man a mask! Get as many as you can find. The rest of you, come with me."

The three men ran down the tunnel, coming face-to-face with a commando. Not bothering to ask questions, the commando opened up with his shotgun. The first man hit the ground hard from the blast to his mid-section. The soldier behind the dead man pulled the trigger on his rifle and sprayed the hallway with bullets, killing the commando with the shotgun.

Suddenly a metallic "plink" sound could be heard near the men's feet. The soldiers looked down, the last thing they saw was a bright flash, the last thing they felt was hot shrapnel.

* * *

(1) Ken Akamatsu is the creator of Love Hina (Let's hope if he reads this that he will be flattered rather than offended), as such it would seem out of place to not include him in my fic (fans of other mangas should recognise several names)

(2) FUBAR: Fuc. . . erm, I mean. . . Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition

(3) CS gas is actually banned in war, but I have already taken several creative liberties, why stop now?

--

Extras (in order of appearance)

Yoshiyuki Sadamoto - Creator of Evangalion

Hiromu Arakawa - Creator of Fullmetal Alchemist

Tokuhiro Iga - Submarine Captian in the series Blue Submarine No. 6 (fitting, don't you think?)

Hideki Motosua - Protaganist in the Chobits series (Comes from Hokkaido in the anime)


	8. The Maelstrom

A few words from the author: readers are appreciated, reviewers are appreciated even more. Loads of thanks and appreciation to Ghost Man for beta-reading.

Please note that some of the parts in this story are somewhat improbable. Creative liberties were taken.

Warning: Do not use this fanfiction for anything other than its intended purpose. The author cannot be held responsible for damages resulting from intentional misuse. (However if intentional misuse somehow cures cancer, the author takes full credit, all responsibility, and any money made using it.)

**"Chinese"**

"Japanese"

"English"

Enjoy

* * *

February 14, 2010; 1504 local time; ADF AWACS (1), Sea of Japan.

The crew of E-767 flew high above the sea. They were attempting to locate the hostile fleet, which reports indicated was moving to Maizuru.

"We have radar contacts bearing fifty three degrees." A young operator said.

"How many?" An officer asked coming over to the operator.

"Almost a hundred ships, maybe more." The young man said, not turning away from the displays.

"That has to be the objective." The officer said with a degree of nervousness. "What is their current speed?"

"Twenty knots, maybe more."

The officer nodded and turned to a man on a computer.

"Give me an estimate on how long it would take that fleet to reach Maizuru."

The man at the computer started typing and began to do the calculations. Withing a few minutes he had the answers. "Seventeen hours, give or take, depending on the tides."

The officer nodded as the radar operator's face suddenly took on an expression of disbelief.

"That can't be right, sir we're getting something big on the radar."

"How big?" The officer asked, slightly worried.

"Aircraft Carrier big."

The officer gritted his teeth before turning to a communications operator. "Contact JSDF headquarters. Tell them we have found the hostile fleet. ETA (2), seventeen hours. We also have reason to believe that they are in possession of an aircraft carrier."

"Yes sir"

--

February 14, 2010; 1703 local time; JSDF command headquarters, Tokyo, Japan

Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Japan's minister of defense, sat at the planning table along with is staff. The situation in Hokkaido was deteriorating. Not more than an hour ago, his command had lost contact with Hakodate. Yoshiyuki had to make a hard decision. The Seiken undersea tunnel between Hakodate and Aomori was still operational. Reports from Aomori indicated that it was currently being used to ferry civilians and wounded away from the battlefield; it was also being used to move reinforcements to the front. The problem was what to do if it fell into enemy hands. The enemy would have a way to move troops and equipment across the Tsugaru Strait to Honshu, bypassing all coastal defensive lines.

"Sadamoto-sama. . . I'm sorry to interrupt, but the enemy fleet has been spotted. It has been confirmed that the fleet is moving towards Maizuru."

The Minister of defense nodded. He quickly had his subordinates call up all military forces in and around Maizuru, putting them into a state of readiness. The naval forces in Maizuru were ordered to make sail and stop the enemy fleet.

--

February 14, 2010; 1849 local time; Japanese warship _Hyuga_, Maizuru, Japan.

The _Hyuga _floated in its slip, moored to the dock at Maizuru. She was the first of a new class of "helicopter destroyers", _Hyuga_ actually looked more like an aircraft carrier than anything else; with its large, flat deck and control tower off to the side. The flight deck was abuzz with activity as the nine Harrier (3) jets were being loaded onto the ship (4).

Admiral Juzo Okita attempted to focus on the task at hand; making the vessels ready to defend against the coming fleet.

"Status report." Juzo barked to one of the men on the bridge.

"The last two jets are being stowed as we speak. All ordinance is loaded and stowed. Fuel is sufficient for fifteen hundred nautical miles. Galleys are stocked and sorted. All personnel are aboard." The officer said.

"And what of the other ships?" The Admiral asked.

"The _Atago_ (5) and _Haruna_ (6) are fully prepared, and the _Amagiri_ (7) will be ready within the hour. The _Abukuma_ (8) is having trouble with her engines; she won't be sea worthy for another five hours. The _Myoko_ (9) is getting her AEGIS systems worked on, she won't be ready for another day. We have had no word yet from the _Shimakaze_ (10) or the _Mineyuki_ (11)."

"What about our submarines?"

"The _Narushio_ and _Suppon _are armed and fueled."

"Any news back about additional air support?"

"We have confirmation of eleven F-2 fighters (Japanese variant of the F-16) from various airbases ready for departure, with another six ready in three hours "

"Good, good, we disembark in five hours. I'll be in my quarters. . ."

"Yes Admiral."The officer said as Juzo left.

--

February 14, 2010; 1934 local time; VIP quarters, JMSDF helicopter destroyer _Hyuga_

A knock came at the door of Juzo's quarters. The commander looked up from his desk, "Come in" he said.

The door opened and a young seaman entered, he stood rigidly at attention and saluted.

"At ease sailor," The older man said. "What do you need?"

"I have come to report that the _Shimakaze_ and _Mineyuki_ are ready. We also have received word that the _Abukuma_ is almost ready, a work crew is still fixing her engines but they can continue to make the repairs while she is underway."

Juzo looked distant for a moment before turning to the sailor, "What's your name son?"

"Sasumu, Kodai Sasumu." The young man said. "Why do you ask?"

"You look a lot like your brother, you know that?"

"You know my brother?"

"Yeah, he lives in Aomori doesn't he?"

"Yes he does, how did you know him?"

"I knew your father, we go back. Anyway, tell the captain I'll be back on the bridge in a few minutes."

"Yes commander"

". . . And when you get the chance, give your brother a call."

Sasumu nodded before leaving. Juzo waited for a few moments before making his way to the bridge.

"Captain, get me the radio. I wish to address the men."

The captain nodded before having a communications officer give the commander a microphone.

"Pilots, sailors, fellow officers; this is Admiral Okita. I would like to take a few moments to address you all before we leave. As you all know, this will be the first sea battle fought in the defense of Nippon (12) since the days of the Empire. Once more, a mighty fleet comes to conquer our sacred islands."

The commander paused.

"In days past we have prayed for the blessings of the Kamikaze (13), but such days are no more. We are the new protectors of Nippon, we are the bulwark against those who seek to rule us, WE are the Kamikaze incarnate. The power of our warships is the new wind. The will of our sailors, the new lightning. The wisdom of our commanders, the new storm clouds."

Admiral Okita took off his officer's hat. He reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a strip of cotton cloth. He unrolled the cloth, revealing a red disc between two kanji. The kanji read "Fighting Spirit". Okita took the cloth (known as a hachimaki) and tied it around his head (14).

"Today, we go to battle. I wish all of you to know that we will be going into harm's way. Some of us may not return. . . but if we are successful in driving back the Chinese, the sacrifices of today will ensure a continued tomorrow for Nippon. So make yourselves ready. We have trained for this day, and as long as I am alive, I will not let these invaders desecrate Honshu with their footsteps!"

As Juzo turned off the radio, he heard several cheers coming from around the bridge.

"Very inspiring, sir." The captain said.

Juzo grunted and gave a half smile. "Raise the jacks! I wanted these ships underway two hours ago!"

--

February 15, 2010; 0123 local time; Chinese aircraft carrier _Bai Duan,_ Sea of Japan

The Chinese carrier _Bai Duan _sailed toward the coast of Japan. She was surrounded by her twelve escorts. Commander Xiong stood on the bridge.

**"Commander, we have confirmation of a fleet moving in from Maizuru. They are eighty kilometers outside of weapons range."**

**"How many ships?"**

**"Two guided-missile destroyers, two helicopter destroyers, two destroyers, and one destroyer escort. We are also picking up fighter aircraft and at least one submarine." **The seaman rattled off.

**"Detach the battle group from the main force, launch all fighters and tell the forward elements to prepare for phase two."**

**"Yes commander"**

--

February 15, 2010; 0153 local time; Sea of Japan

The two fleets prepared for battle. The naval jacks of their respective nations fluttering on the masts.

The first shots were fired by the _Narushio. _Two submarine-launched anti-ship missiles flew out of the torpedo tubes towards one of the Chinese destroyers.

**"Anti-ship ordinance inbound."**

**"Hard to port, prepare the missile defenses!"**

**"Aye captain."**

The gatling cannon of the AK-630 CIWS (Soviet-made version of the Phalanx) spun and started spewing bullets, knocking both missiles off course.

As the two fleets closed the distance, anti-ship missiles began to be exchanged. Fighters on both sides prepared for battle.

"All wings report in."

**"All wings report."**

"Nanbu wing, standing by."

**"Tiger wing, standing by"**

"Arisaka wing ready"

**"Panther wing, standing by"**

"Juuken wing, standing by"

**"Viper wing, ready"**

"Taka wing, awaiting orders."

The planes of Nanbu and Juuken wings formed up as they prepared to engage the thirty Su-33 "Flankers". Half the planes of Arisaka wing formed up near the Harriers as they prepared to attack the ships.

"Flankers inbound one o'clock, All units engage!"

**"Engage!!"**

**"Viper three, follow my lead."**

**"Panther wing, focus on the F-2's"**

**"Viper seven, bandits on your tail."**

"Juuken four, fox two."

**"AAAAAAAUUGGHHH!!"**

**"Too close for missiles, switching to guns."**

"Nanbu four, enemies on your tail."

"I can't shake him!"

The cannon of the Flanker fired, ripping through the tail of the F-2 and sending it into a dive.

"I can't hold it, ejecting." A pilot said, instinctively reaching for the ejection actuators before launching himself from the cockpit.

--

February 15, 2010; 0228 local time; Japanese warship _Hyuga_

The _Hyuga_ and the _Abukuma_ stayed back from the battle, out of range of all but the longest hitting weapons.

"Status report!" Juzo shouted.

"Nambu and Juuken wings have taken heavy losses, Taka wing has lost all but three of its harriers. Ordinance is exhausted on Nanbus five, seven and two. Ordinance exhausted in Juukens four, six, and three. The _Atago_ has taken a hit, but can still fight. The _Haruna's_ helicopter deck has been destroyed. We've lost the _Narushio_ and _Mineyuki_. . ."

"What about losses inflicted?" The commander interrupted impatiently.

"Ten confirmed fighter kills, two enemy destroyers hit, one derelict and one sunk. Unconfirmed hits on two destroyers and a frigate."

"Dammit, we're not causing enough damage. Tell the fleet to close in. Captain!"

"Yes admiral?"

"Get me the Prime minister. . ." Juzo said grimly.

--

February 15, 2010; 0248 local time; Helicopter destroyer _Haruna_, Sea of Japan

The remaining ships of the two fleets were now close enough to see each other. They opened up with all their weapons; guns, missiles, and torpedoes.

"Give me the range of our nearest targets." Daisuke Shima, captain of the _Haruna,_ barked.

"Enemy destroyers at seven, eight, and thirteen nautical miles. Enemy missile cruiser at seven and a half nautical miles."

"Have 'A' turret target the closest destroyer. 'B' turret, target the cruiser."

The _Haruna's _two five-inch turrets swiveled in their mounts, aiming in two different directions.

"FIRE!" the captain shouted.

The two turrets opened fire as projectiles from both fleets continued to fly. Flames could be seen on the aft flight deck.

"Captain, the Phalanx ammunition is exhausted."

"Dammit."

"Incoming!!"

A huge fireball erupted from the port side as a shell impacted a few inches above the waterline.

"We're taking on water."

"Seal off areas four-A and three-B"

The _Haruna_ was now listing to the side, but she was still fighting, her five-inch guns firing one shell after another.

"Captain, the engineers are reporting a leak in the fuel tank."

"Contact the _Hyuga_, tell them we have to turn back."

"Aye captain."

"_Hyuga_, this is _Haruna_, we have taken heavy damage. Fuel is leaking, request permission to disengage."

"_Haruna_, this is _Hyuga_, you have a green light to disengage. _Shimakaze_ will cover your retreat."

"Rodger that _Hyuga._"

The _Haruna_ began to turn around, its movements painfully slow as it started crawling towards Maizuru. One of the Chinese fighters noticed the retreating ship.

**"Target of opportunity sighted, Tiger three watch my tail."**

The two fighters flew towards the wounded ship. They both launched missiles at the _Haruna_. The missiles flew towards the ship the first impacted the bridge, incinerating those inside. The second missile hit the side of the ship causing another fireball. Before the crew could respond, the fire from the impact ignited the leaking fuel. The flames made their way to the fuel tank and reacted violently, causing a massive explosion that almost broke the ship in half. The explosion rocked every boat on the water, several windows on nearby ships were cracked by the shock wave.

"_Hyuga_, this is _Shimakaze_. We have lost the _Haruna_."

Another flight of fighters came in, covering an enemy frigate. The frigate opened fire with its guns, hitting the bridge of the _Shimakaze._The fighters followed in with anti-ship missiles, tearing gaping holes into the starboard side of the destroyer. The ship was now derelict, floating dead in the water. The enemy frigate closed in and gave it the final blow with her torpedoes.

--

February 15, 2010; 0219 local time; Japanese warship _Hyuga, _Sea of Japan

The situation had deteriorated beyond hope. Admiral Okita knew this. Along with the _Haruna_ and _Shimakaze_, they had also lost the _Suppon,_ the _Amagiri_ had taken several bad hits, the rest of the harriers were shot down, and only seven of the F-2's remained.

"Order a withdrawl, we can't hold them."

"Yes commander!" The captain said turning to a com-officer. "Signal for a retreat."

"Yes, captain. _Hyuga_ to all remaining ships, commence advance to the rear. _Atago_ and _Abukuma_ will provide cover."

"I'm going to my quarters, I do not wish to be disturbed." Juzo said, with a heavy sigh.

Juzo made his way to his quarters. He took off his hachimaki, and opened a drawer. He searched through the drawer before finding what he was looking for. He pulled out a pistol and loaded it. . .

before putting it to his temple. . .

--

February 15, 2010; 0249 local time; Chinese destroyer _Gang Hu_

The bridge of the destroyer was filled with celebration as the wounded Japanese fleet disengaged. Even with the smoke screen put up by the _Abukuma; t_hey had managed to sink the _Atago_ and even score a hit on the _Hyuga_.

In a corner of the room, one young seaman stood. His mind was less jubilant than those of his crewmates. Noticing the young man, one of the officers went over to him.

**"What's on your mind, sailor?"**

The young man looked up,** "I've been thinking."**

**"About what?"**

**"About the battle, about how lucky we are to be alive. . ."**

**"Indeed, it is a day to be proud."**

**"Is it?"**

The officer paused.

**"How different are we from those we killed?"** The sailor said, his eyes getting slightly damp

**"What do you mean?"**

**"Were they not sailors like us?"**

**"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" **The officer said, not liking where this conversation was going.

**"I mean. . . they're sailors, we're sailors, and only alive by the grace of-"**

The officer put his hand to the young man's face. **"If you don't want to get put in for re-education, I suggest you drop the subject. Now."**

The sailor nodded before leaving the bridge. As the sailor walked outside on the deck, a song he had learned in the church he attended (secretly attended, of course) came to his head.

_Eternal Father, strong to save, _

_Whose arm hath bound the restless wave, _

_Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep _

_Its own appointed limits keep; _

_Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,_

_For those in peril on the sea. . ._

**"Amen"** He murmured, bringing his hand up to a salute in the direction of the battle. Saluting those who had died. . . friend and foe. . .

--

February 15, 2010; 0735 local time; Hinata Inn

Motoko came down from her training to find the rest of the Hinata group glued to the television set.

_. . . government have confirmed it, last night's naval engagement has failed to deter the Chinese. Statements released by the government state that the battle has only slowed the enemy fleet down. Estimates say that the fleet will make landfall by mid-afternoon. Civilians in and around Maizuru are being evacuated as GSDF and MSDF forces continue to move in. The Diet has sent several requests for support to Russia, unfortunately the Russian government stated that it was unable to help. According to a press release from their Parliament, Chechen rebels have sabotaged the Trans-Siberian railroad. More on this story later._

Haruka entered the room, carrying a long bag. She turned off the TV before ushering the younger residents off to school with assurances of their manager's safety before heading upstairs.

Mitsune (quite sober after watching the news), followed her at a distance. Haruka went into the manager's room and unzipped the bag, pulling out a side-by-side 12 gauge shotgun.

"What do you want, Kitsune?" Haruka said, making the woman jump.

"Where did you get that?"

Haruka put some oil on a cloth, wiping the barrels. "I've had this for a while now, I bought it before I went on my first expedition. Seta helped me pick it out."

"Really, somehow I didn't see Seta as one who would allow such things, much less know what one to pick."

"Martial arts may be impressive, but it's hard to impress a charging animal."

"You ever used it?" Mitsune asked.

"Once or twice, up until now it just sat behind the counter of the tea shop as a robbery deterrent."

"Why'd you bring it here?"

"Because I'll be dammed if I left you all unarmed. Didn't you see the news?" Haruka said, her voice slightly louder than usual.

"But what about Kaolla and all her high-tech stuff?"

"It's all non-lethal, always was."

"You're kidding." Mitsune said, wondering how the resident genius could come up with a way NOT to kill people with her inventions.

"Nope, her and Hina had an agreement. All devices she made would not be able to harm a human, and she has stuck to that agreement."

"Can't she make weapons now?"

"No, think about it; if her non-lethal inventions can cause as much destruction as they have, do you really want her working on something that could kill?"

Mitsune's eyes suddenly widened as she grasped the implications of what the elder Urashima was saying.

"I guess you're right. What about Motoko and her sword tricks?" She said.

"She is capable of doing major damage up close, I'll admit that. However, I don't think she could handle killing another person. At least not psycologically."

"What about you?" The resident alcohol enthusiast asked.

"Yeah, I've killed a few people before. Mostly looters, never liked it."

Mitsune shrugged before pulling a bottle out from who knows where, "Sake?"

"Don't mind if I do." Haruka said, getting a glass out. 'Might as well'

"I hope this ends soon. . ." Mitsune said before taking a swig out of the bottle, Haruka nodded before having her own drink.

* * *

(1) AWACS: Airborne Warning And Control System (A recon plane, usually fitted with sophisticated radar systems)

(2) ETA: Estimated Time to Arrival

(3) Harrier jets are one of the few Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft that have a fixed wing. They can be launched from a helipad (which the Hyuga has several of).

(4) Japan probably doesn't have Harriers, but I put them in to give the Hyuga an active role in the battle.

(5) Atago: Atago class guided-missile destroyer, DDG-177

(6) Haruna: Haruna class helicopter destroyer, DDH-141

(7) Amagiri: Asagiri class destroyer, DD-154

(8) Abukuma: Abukuma class destroyer escort, DE-229

(9) Myoko: Kongo class guided-missile destroyer, DDG-175

(10) Shimakaze: Hatakaze class guided-missile destroyer, DDG-172

(11) Mineyuki: Hatsuyuki class destroyer, DD-124

(12) Nippon: Native name for Japan

(13) Kamikaze: Japanese for "divine wind", Juzo is referencing the the typhoon that destroyed the Mongol invasion fleet, not the suicide pilots of WWII.

(14) Tying a hachimaki is the Japanese equivalent to rolling up one's sleeves, signifying determination.

--

Extras (in order of appearance)

Juzo Okita: Captain of the _Yamato _in "Space Battleship Yamato" (season 1)

Narushio: Named after a submarine in "Blue Submarine No. 6"

Suppon: Japanese for "snapping turtle" (named after the submarine in "Submarine 707")

Susumu Kodai: Battle chief of the _Yamato _in "Space Battleship Yamato" (season 1)

Daisuke Shima: Helmsman of the _Yamato_ in (I'll give you three guesses, the first two don't count) (season 1)


	9. Darkness Falls

A few words from the author: readers are appreciated, reviewers are appreciated even more.

Please note that some of the parts in this story are somewhat improbable, speculative and creative liberties were taken.

Warning: Do not mix fanfiction with other drugs or alcohol. Doing so can result in serious liver, stomach, and spleen problems.

**"Chinese"**

"Japanese"

"English"

Enjoy

* * *

February 25, 2010; 1049 local time; Chinese flagship, _Bai Duan_, offshore of Maizuru.

Commander Xiong stood at the bridge of his ship. On the horizon he could just barely see the island of Honshu.

**"Commander, the UAV's(1) are ready to launch." **An officer informed him.

Xiong nodded, **"Launch them and tell all warships to prepare for bombardment. Tell all forward elements of to prepare for landing."**

**"Yes, commander."**

--

February 25, 2010; 1057 local time; JSDF command HQ, Maizuru, Japan

Commander Okada sat at the planning table. The surface of the table was strewn with maps detailing the layout of the Maizuru defenses. The entrance to the harbor itself being the most heavily fortified.

"Sir, we have contacts inbound off the enemy carrier. They appear to be UAV's." An officer said, reading a message from one of the radar operators.

"Is the _Myoko _ready?" Okada said, looking up from a map.

"Her AEGIS systems are still offline, but we can attempt to guide her missiles by other means."

"Do it, take those things down." The commander said, going back to the table. He looked at the shorelines on the map, wondering where the Chinese would make their initial landings. He had a feeling that they would want to capture the areas around the harbor entrance before making their way to the harbor itself.

"Yes, commander" The officer nodded before going to the phone. "_Myoko_, this is Fire Control. Prepare missiles for launch. . . Yes, yes, we know the systems aren't running yet. . . Prepare the missiles, that's an order."

--

February 25, 2010; 1117 local time; Chinese Carrier, _Bai Duan _60 miles offshore of Maizuru

Commander Xiong watched as nearly six million Yuan (Chinese unit of currency) worth of UAV's crashed into the sea, intercepted by what he and several of his officers concluded was the _Myoko, _a Kongo class destroyer reported to posses an upgraded AEGIS combat system. She was one of Japan's most advanced warships to date. Xiong was equal parts relieved and curious as to why she did not participate in the earlier battle. Indeed, the fact that they were able to sink the other, more recent AEGIS-equipped ship, _Atago _was almost a fluke. His advisers had shared differing opinions as to why Myoko was absent from the battle. Theories ranged from a lack of fuel, to the possibility of a technical problem with her electronics.

**"Commence bombardment." **Xiong ordered grimly.

**"Yes commander,"** An officer said before speaking into a communicator. **"All units, commence bombardment. Have all the forward elements and landing ships prepare for assault."**

--

February 25, 2010; 1526 local time; Maizuru, Japan.

Private Takumi ducked behind A concrete wall as bullets from both sides continued to zoom past. He was scared, the Chinese had landed and overran the forward positions. Enemy warships were now inside the harbor itself wreaking untold havoc on the defenders. He took out the magazine in his rifle before replacing it with a fresh one. He worked the bolt and looked over the wall again. A swarm of bullets streaked past and knocked his helmet off. Takumi ducked under the wall again before firing several blind sprays over the top. A voice to his left cried out.

"Masato?" Takumi shouted as he looked over. He recognised the face of his friend. "Medics! Somebody get me a medic!"

"He's dead, buddy." A forward observer said before going back to his radio. "Fire control, this is wildcat seven. Requesting fire support at grid references, hotel, echo, romeo, three. I repeat, fire support at hotel, echo, romeo, three. . ."

"Incoming!!" A voice shouted as Takumi heard the shriek of approaching mortar rounds, milliseconds later the explosives hit the ground, detonating on impact. The cloud of shrapnel burned as it penetrated clothing, flesh, and bone; leaving Takumi and the forward observer horribly injured.

Takumi fought as hard as he could to keep awake, but soon everything started to fade, blackness creeping in. . .

--

February 25, 2010; 1702 local time; JSDF Command HQ, Maizuru, Japan

"Commander?" A younger officer said, running in from the communications room.

"What is it?"

"Our eastern defensive line is starting to deteriorate. If we don't do something fast, we could lose the eastern quarter and the harbor."

"Have the artillery concentrate fire on that area. We have to hold those docks!" Okada ordered.

"Yes commander" The officer said, running back to the communications room.

"MOL, this is fire control, fire control to MOL. Concentrate fire in grid references India, Foxtrot, Sierra, three."

"Fire control, this is MOL. Fire mission is confirmed. Be advised, ordinance is half exhausted." A man on the other end said, the roar of artillery fire was prominent in the background.

"Rodger that MOL. Ordinance replenishment will be en route shortly." The officer said "Fire control, out."

A second officer got onto another phone, "Fire control to K-line, Fire control to K-line. Requesting additional ordinance at MOL."

"Rodger that fire control." came the response, the sound of artillery being heard intermittently in the background.

--

February 26, 2010; 0932 local time; Maizuru, Japan.

The eastern half of Maizuru had fallen, the docks where in enemy hands. Sergant Sakamoto and his men holed up in a small office building. They where trying to hold out until reinforcements arrived. Something Sakamoto believed might never come.

"Fire control, this is Wildcat three, requesting fire mission in grid reference tango, four. I repeat, fire mission at grid reference tango, four" A forward observer said into the radio.

"Enemy APC moving in from the northwest." A soldier said as the APC in question aimed its autocannon and opened fire on the building. The large projectiles blowing holes in the walls and causing the men inside to take cover.

"Hiro, Kuroda, take it out!" Sakamoto said.

One of the men picked up their 84mm recoiless rifle (2) while the other man picked out the proper projectile. They moved to a window facing the APC.

"Range." Hiro said, preparing an Armor Piercing projectile.

"Two hundred meters and closing." Kuroda said, looking through the sight.

Hiro shoved the projectile into the tube that made up the weapon.

"Fire" Sakamoto ordered.

A ball of flame shot out of the back of the tube as the projectile flew towards the vehicle. The APC erupted in a massive explosion killing the four men standing close to it. "Target eliminated"

Down on the ground several Chinese soldiers started firing at the area where the rocket came from.

**"Anti-tank crew in the building!" **A soldier shouted as both sides exchanged rifle fire from their respective positions.

**"Level it!"** An officer yelled to a radio operator.

**"Thunder this is Fox, enemy fortified position at grid reference twelve, seven. I repeat fire mission at grid-"** The radio operator said.

**"Incoming!!" **Someone next to the radioman shouted as artillery shells shrieked down from the sky. The explosives hit the ground, near the radio operator. Time seemed to almost stop as the shockwave knocked the man backwards, throwing him hard against the flaming wreckage of the APC.

**"Fox (static)**** Thunder (static) inbound (more static)"** The radio crackled before going silent.

Back in the building, the GDF soldiers where taking casualties. The recoiless rifle team had been put out of commission by a grenade, and two other riflemen where wounded. Sakamoto was helping to dress the wounded when the first shell hit. . .

--

February 26, 2010; 1348 local time; Artillery position "MOL", Takahama, Japan

The MOL firing position consisted of several tents, one was for keeping ammuniton, another for communications, and others for dining and sleeping. The most prominent features of the firebase were the five 155mm howitzers, which where currently silent at the moment. Next to the guns where hundreds of spent shell casings piled like logs.

"MOL to fire control, MOL to fire control." A communications officer repeated into the radio.

"Fire control to MOL, concentrate fire on grid references Victor, two, three and four."

"Fire mission confirmed, be advised, ordinance is almost depleted." The communications officer said.

The orders where relayed to the teams at the guns. The crews donned their blackened gear and prepared to fire.

"All guns are loaded and primed."

"Fire at wi-"

The commander was interrupted by the shriek of incoming mortar fire. Men all over the camp ducked for cover as the round impacted about five yards short of the communications tent.

"MOL to fire control, MOL to fire control, we are taking mortar fire, I repeat we are taking mortar fire!"

Rifle fire was heard as Chinese commandos broke cover and began attacking.

GDF Soldiers began running towards the wall where the commandos where.

"MOL this is command, Radar has picked up something small moving in on your position."

"Can it be identified?"

"Negative, whatever it is, it's fast. Possibly missile artillery."

Three black aircraft moving fast streaked over the camp, firing missiles. The howitzers exploded. As the planes continued to fly past a deafening shriek from their jet engines could be heard.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Someone outside shouted.

Three more black aircraft streaked over, firing missiles. The weapons impacted the communications tent.

--

March 2, 2010; 1729 local time; Defensive line near Route 175, Fukuchiyama, Japan

Keitaro sat up against a bombed building, the picture of him and Naru in his hand. His unit was tasked with defending the area between a half-finished "Tsunami bunker" and the office building he was sitting against. Foxholes, sandbag walls, and other rapidly constructed fortifications made up the defensive line. For four long days and longer nights, he had held the lines. His unit was spread very thin, they had already lost half of his platoon. Several of the losses where uncomfortably close to home. Shirai had gotten wounded in the arm by shrapnel, he had been taken to Ayabe for treatment. The less that could be said about Haitani, the better.

A sudden shriek brought Keitaro back to reality as he scrambled for cover. He ducked into a nearby crater as a shell exploded about fifty yards away. His breathing was rapid and his heart was in this throat as he slowly looked out from his spot. Keitaro ducked again as another explosion sent an eruption of dust and debris not three yards from his position. The shelling started getting more intense, Keitaro reloaded his weapon and prepared for the expected assault. Bullets began to fly as men moved to find cover and start fighting.

Keitaro ducked back behind a sandbag wall, breathing heavily. He had already been on the front lines here for about four days, according to his superiors reinforcements would be arriving soon for an offensive. Keitaro peered over the wall again. He saw several tanks, APC's, infantry, and attack helicopters.

"Get the lead out!!!" Someone hollered as Keitaro looked down the sights of his Type-64 battle rifle (his assault rifle had been given to another soldier who was deployed earlier.) He spotted something moving and fired, his face twitched slightly as the running figure fell backwards. Bullets from both sides flew and artillery rained down intermittently. "Command, this is Charlie. Under heavy attack. We need support!!" A communications officer shouted into his radio.

"Charile, this is command. Air support is on the way. Sit tight, choppers inbound."

The APC's started to open fire. Keitaro hugged the ground as cannon rounds flew overhead, to his left he briefly heard the sounds of anguish. Against his better judgement, he looked. He shuddered as he saw the wound in the man. A massive, bloody, hole in his chest. Keitaro quickly turned his head.

"Get some anti-armor up!" The lieutenant shouted as a man readied his rocket launcher.

"Target the lead tank."

"Yes, sir" The soldier said, looking into the sight. A ball of flames erupted from the back as the projectile few towards the enemy vehicle.

The rocket streaked for it's target as the tank started an evasive maneuver. The rocket struck the tank on it's front armor to the right of the driver's position. The tank slowed down and started moving behind cover, a large hole in it's frontal armor. One of the men manning the machine gun started sweeping the area with automatic fire. Keitaro ducked as the bullets flew over his head. He looked over the wall again, picking another target. He fired a burst, hitting an enemy soldier in the chest. He ducked again as the enemy helicopters started making attack runs, raking the positions with cannon fire and rockets.

"They're trying to flank us!"

"COMMAND, THIS IS CHARLIE! WHERE IS THAT AIR SUPPORT!" An officer shouted into the radio.

"Charlie, this is command, air support and reinforcements are en route. ETA, 10 minutes."

"WE DON'T HAVE TEN MINUTES!!"

Keitaro had to agree with the officer, enemy soldiers and vehicles where getting dangerously close to their position. He aimed his rifle, firing another burst, he winced as he saw bits of reddish debris come out the back of the man he aimed at.

The sound of rotor blades approached from the rear.

"The cavalry's here (or the equivilant japanese phrase)!!" Someone shouted as three Cobra gunships flew over the tired soldiers. Cheering could be heard as the helicopters started firing.

"Air support has arrived."

The autocannons on several of the APC's stopped attacking the line and now focused on the helicopters. This took pressure off the men on the ground, giving them time to regroup.

--

March 2, 2010; 1750 local time; Maizuru, occupied Japan

Commander Xiong was hearing reports that the advance in the western area where slowed down by enemy reinforcements.

**"Deploy the J-17's." **Xiong said, examining the maps.

**"Yes sir"** An officer responded relaying the orders. **"Deploying air support in sector seventeen."**

The command reached the communications officer.** "Ground control this is command, air strike in sector seventeen. First wing, load for aircraft. Second wing, load for ground attack."**

**"Affirmative, command." **The officer at the captured airfield said before alerting the ground crews. Men started wheeling out missiles and attaching them to the aircraft's internal pylons. The J-17 "Shǎn" was China's new generation of air superiority fighter. It featured a black Radar Absorbent Material, advanced avionics, and the ability to break Mach 3. The planes had a very sleek appearance, it's wings where currently in a wide angle, but could be adjusted for faster flight. In front of the wings was a cockpit set between two intakes.

The planes taxi'd down the runway and soon the first two where airborne.

--

March 2, 2010; 1821 local time; Defensive line near Route 175, Fukuchiyama, Japan

The Chinese lines where beginning to crack when the Communication's officer recieved a transmission.

"Charlie, you have inbound, Small and fast."

_'Small and fast. . ._' Keitaro thought. He had heard rumors about what happened at MOL. "Small and fast" radar contacts where spotted inbound. After that, MOL stopped responding to transmissions. His thoughts where interrupted by an explosion. He looked over and saw a large plume of smoke and the flaming wreckage of a Cobra falll from the sky.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?!" Someone shouted as four black aircraft flew by, the sound of their engines causing many of the men on the ground to cover their ears.

**"Second wing, prepare for ground attack." **The lead pilot said as the four other planes formed up. **"Releasing payload"**

The bellies of the aircraft opened and missiles flew out of the bay. Making four short strings of craters all along the defensive line. This disruption gave the Chinese time to regroup and put pressure on the left flank of the dissarayed positions. APC's and armor raining bullets across the battered Japanese positions.

"Command, this is Charile. Left flank is collapsing!" A radio operator shouted.

"Charile, this is command. Artillery on standby, additional armor and air support en route."

"Hurry it up!! I don't know how much longer we can hold out!"

Keitaro continued fighting, his right shoulder was numb from the punishment the butt of his rifle was giving it and a bruise was forming.

--

March 3, 2010; 0818 local time; Defensive line near Route 175, Fukuchiyama, Japan

The battle raged on through the night, the enemy planes making quick work of any air support they had recieved. The enemy helicopters exploiting weak points in the lines before the tanks started to break through.

"Command, this is Charlie. Position is compromised, reqest immidiate assistance!" The radio operator shouted.

"Negative, fall back to the city."

"FALL BACK!! FALL BACK!!" People started shouting.

Keitaro looked out from his foxhole. The remnants of Charlie company had received the order to fall back and where retreating. Keitaro sprayed a random burst behind himself as he joined his comrades in a panicked rush away from danger.

Keitaro continued running, people on all sides of him where getting cut down by enemy fire. The soldiers where now piling into any suitable vehicle, trailer or bicycle they could find. Keitaro saw a heavy truck, it's bed loaded with men. He ran towards it, waving his arms and shouting with all his might. He ran alongside of the truck, two soldiers reached out their hands for him to grab. They pulled him into the truck bed.

Keitaro was breathing heavily, trying to get his heart back to its normal rate.

"Floor it, buddy!!" someone shouted as the soldier driving the truck accelerated. Keitaro watched as the men retreating on foot got smaller and smaller. He wanted to help, but the truck was already overloaded. An explosion in front of the truck caused the driver to swerve off the road briefly. Keitaro hung onto the side for dear life, he saw several men fall out. He instictively reached out a hand to one of the falling men. The man reached for the hand but it was too late.

Keitaro's eyes started to water as he saw the men cry out to the fleeing vehicle. The men quickly grew tired and started to fall away from view.

--

March 10, 2010; 0629 local time; Hinata Sou

_. . .Ayabe and Fukuchiyama still locked in urban combat. . . the Seikan tunnel has been captured and enemy forces are moving south from Aomori. . . Ships sunk off the coast of Fukue. . . Chinese forces have landed in Nagisaki and Kagoshima. . .Sasebo naval base overrun. . . United States threatens war. . . Nagisaki prefecture in enemy hands, personel retreating to Saga. . . JSDF personel retreating from Kagoshima prefecture. . . UN security council is in a deadlock. . . Martial law declared in Okinawa. . . Evacuations are already underway in Kyoto. . . United States forces in Japan mobilizing. . . _

The news reports where getting worse, the girls where worried. The last letter they had gotten from Keitaro said that he was being deployed to Fukuchiyama, the same Fukuchiyama that currently was still in a massive battle. Naru and Shinobu where taking it the hardest, Naru practically assaulting the mailman whenever he came around and Shinobu sleeping by the phone (usually sneaking out of her room to do so). Mitsune was drinking less and Motoko began spending tremendous amounts of time practicing her sword techniques on the roof. Even Su and Mutsumi where feeling the tension. Su spent large parts of the day in her room, fiddling with something or other; while Mutsumi's demeanor seemed a little more subdued and sometimes forced.

The phone rang. Naru and Shinobu ran towards it intending to pick it up.

Haruka calmly picked up the phone. "Hinata apartments, Haruka speaking." Her face flashed an expression of suprise before going back to her stoic self. "Keitaro. . .?"

"Keitaros!?"

"Keitaro!?"

"Keitaro?!"

"Urashima!?"

"Keitaro!?"

"Kei-kun?"

All seven Hinata girls gathered around the phone and started bombarding Haruka with questions.

"Is he still alive?"

"Where is he?"

"When is he coming home?"

"Are his shirts clean?"

"Why hasn't he called earlier?"

"Quiet! all of you." Haruka shouted. "He doesn't have much more time on the phone. He's still in Fukuchiyama. He won't be home, not for a long time. . . "

"What!?" Everyone except Motoko shouted.

"Quiet!" Haruka said very sternly. "He says that he misses you all and hopes to be home by the end of the month."

Motoko looked at Haruka, her normally stoic facade was showing a slight change as she hung up the phone. 'What is she hiding?' Motoko thought to herself as Haruka left for the Tea house.

--

March 14, 2010; 1726 local time; Okano district, Fukuchiyama, Japan

Keitaro sat against a wall, trying to get some rest. More than a week had passed since his first taste of combat. He looked around at the crumbling building he was in. The large front window had been fortifed with sandbags, a machine gun set up against the impromptu wall. Cigarette butts, ration packaging and the occasional pool of dried blood dotted the tile floor. The fighting, the dying, the noise; it was all starting to wear on him. Many things that he had taken for granted became rare, showers where almost non existent, other minor hygiene issues began to be neglected, sleep became a cherished indulgence, and any feeling of safety was completely stripped. Currently he shared his positon with four others, a morose teen fresh out of high school named Shinji, a young man about Keitaro's age named Hikaru, an older man named Takashi, and the radio operator Yukio.

The familiar roar of incoming artillery brought him to his senses as he scrambled once more for cover. He cowered against a corner one hand clutching his helmet, the other arm holding his weapon. The emotion of fear danced on his face, the sounds of incoming rounds worried him, but he had learned that the one you don't hear is the one that kills you (4). He looked out from his position. The slightly familiar scenery of bombed out buildings greeted him. The echos of rifle fire bounced off the walls and the ominus *thwop-thwop* of helicopters could be heard in the distance.

"Echo two, this is Command, what is your status?" A voice over the radio said.

"Command, this is Echo two, taking artillery fire, contact imminent." Yukio said.

"Rodger that,"

"Ikari, Urashima, flanking positions. Honda, you're with me. Fuso, get on that MG." Takashi ordered.

Shinji and Keitaro took up positions in nearby buldings on either side of the position.

"Contact, right flank, Infantry." Keitaro said into his communicator.

"Confirmed, Honda get us some support." Takashi said to the radio operator.

"Yes sir. Command, this is Echo two, hostiles identified requesting support."

"Rodger that Echo two, we're routing Echo three and four to your area. ETA twenty minutes."

Keitaro steeled himself, emptied his mind, and looked down the barrel of his rifle. He tried not to think of the things he was about to do, the people he was about to kill, or the families that he was about to hurt. The only thing he wanted to think about was getting out of here alive. The thought of going home, going back, and leaving this fighting for good.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled the trigger. . .

* * *

(1) UAV: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.

(2) A recoiless rifle fires a projectile through a rifled barrel. It is called recoiless because most of the energy from the recoil is blown out the back of the tube.

(3) Shǎn: Chinese for "Lightning"

(4) Most missiles, bullets and artillery rounds travel faster than the speed of sound, so it will hit you before you hear it. Mortar rounds on the other hand often travel slower than sound.

Geographical note, Maizuru is in the Kyoto prefecture.

--

Extras

Commander Okada: Japanese name generator.

Private Takumi: Japanese name generator.

Masato: Japanese name generator.

Sergant Sakamoto: Japanese name generator

Hiro: (I'll give you three guesses)

Kuroda: (three guesses, the first two don't count)

Shinji: (screw it, I'm not doing these anymore)


	10. Pitch Black

March 14, 2010; 1803 local time; Okano district, Fukuchiyama, Japan

Keitaro squeezed the trigger, letting loose a short burst of fire into an approaching enemy. He heard the loud report of machine gun fire and saw red tracers fly from a friendly position.

"Shinji, concentrate your fire on the left flank. Keitaro, keep the heat on the right." Takashi shouted.

"Friendly reinforcements inbound coming from the right."

"Echo Three, approaching from the south. Urashima, cover their advance. Hikaru take up that flank."

Keitaro moved through the building to the other side. He smashed the window with the butt of his rifle and peered through. He saw enemy soldiers behind cover shooting at his comrades. He began firing his weapon in short bursts down on their positions. Several Chinese soldiers ducked as others redirected their fire towards Keitaro's window.

Keitaro ducked behind the wall, pulling out a grenade. He pulled the pin. "One . . . two . . ." He counted before throwing it. The explosive sailed through the air landing a few yards away. The Chinese soldiers ducked behind their cover as it exploded. This gave the reinforcements time to move forward and take cover. The firefight continued, with Keitaro moving to another window, attempting to flank the enemy position. He sprayed bullets down on the enemy, trying to give suppression fire for his fellow soldiers. An audible click came from his rifle as the firing pin struck an empty chamber.

Keitaro moved away from the window, crouching down and opening a pouch on his belt. There were six of such pouches, currently two of these where empty while another two held empty magazines. Keitaro checked the new magazine before loading it into his rifle. _Forty rounds left, and no resupply in sight. . . _Keitaro thought, switching from automatic fire to single shot. He moved to another window, opening it and starting to fire.

The Chinese began falling back as the reinforcements began advancing. "Echo three; this is Sergent Takashi, thanks for the assist. We need you to dig in and reinforce the right flank."

"Copy that." The platoon sergeant said into the radio before turning to his men. "Alright, I want a base of fire covering the alley. Set up the machine gun on the bottom floor of this building. I want three men in the building across from us, a marksman and our MANPADS(1) on the roof of this building here. I want three men on the roof over there for interlocking fire."

"Any chance you all have extra ammunition? I'm running low." Keitaro asked. One of the men opened a pouch, tossing him a full mag. "Thanks."

The men where soon deployed to their respective positions, they waited for the next assault.

"Sergeant, we have an enemy UAV at three o'clock high. Requesting permission to fire." A soldier said.

"Permission granted, take it down." Takashi said.

A man on the roof readied his missile launcher, "Locking on, firing" He said. A small missile exited the tube, tracked the target and impacted in a modestly spectacular fireball.

March 14, 2010 2054 local time; PLA Western Headquarters, Maizuru, Occupied Japan

Commander Xiong studied the map. Japan was putting up a bigger fight than originally estimated, something he did not expect from an army made up of mostly conscripts. Several of the battalions defending Maizuru had retreated to the mountains. Despite being thoroughly depleted, these forces proved to be a large thorn in his plans. During one of the actions he took trying to dislodge a force that had entrenched itself into the forests around Mt. Yoro, suffering heavy losses in order to secure the area.

He hoped that Japan's public opinion would turn towards peace. China could be drawn into a war of attrition, but Xiong felt that it would be far too costly in terms of men and material. What he needed was a restoration of the lost momentum, if he could take Kyoto and Osaka he could cut the enemy in half. The southern force would link up with him for the final push to Tokyo.

He needed to get this done quickly, the longer he waited, the better prepared his enemy would be and the greater the chance for other nations to get involved. Xiong was particularly worried about overt intervention from the United States. Uncle Sam's fingerprints could already be seen in this war. During the raids on the mountains, they had also discovered a foreigner among the dead, a man who was identified as a possible American. He had no identification on him to confirm, and most of the prisoners he interrogated gave him very little information to work with. According to them, he was a former green beret. The name they knew him by was Colonel Tanaka, no first name given.

Japan was getting outside help, which was fairly obvious. Xiong sighed; the dead foreigner was either Special Forces from any number of countries, or a private contractor who had probably served in Special Forces at some point. This man and others like him were probably training Japanese soldiers in insurgent tactics. The mountainous and forested terrain of rural Japan was perfect for guerrilla warfare. Trained in proper strategies, these bands of soldiers could seriously jeopardize his ability to hold captured territory across the islands.

Xiong once again surveyed the map. UAV reconnaissance had placed a weak spot in the Japanese lines at a crossroads marked on the map. His field commanders were already assembling troops and equipment for the next offensive. If successful, he could force the GDF out of the city, gaining a staging area for the push to Kyoto. It was also a perfect time to test the new combat UAV, a close copy of the American "Predator"; it was armed with guided air-to-ground missiles. The drone was safer to use and harder to detect than an attack helicopter, coupled with an aggressive push on the ground, it would make for a nasty surprise.

March 14, 2010; 2243 local time; Okano District, Fukuchiyama, Japan

Keitaro and the rest of his comrades waited. They were dangerously short on manpower, even with the reinforcements; there was barely a full platoon to hold this crossroads. They also had little ammunition, made worse by the slow rate at which supplies were getting to the front. Keitaro was catching a short nap; he had taken to sleeping whenever he could, not knowing when the next time would be.

He was violently awoken from his slumber by an explosion, part of a nearby building crumbled, trapping those inside under a pile of rubble.

"Incoming! Find cover!" Takashi shouted as Keitaro ran for cover, finding a fairly secure position inside an alleyway with Shinji.

"What in Kami's name was that?" Shinji asked.

"I don't know, and I don't want to find out." Keitaro said, switching off his rifle's safety.

"Watch the-" Takashi began shouting; he was interrupted by another explosion, causing him to duck and cover. "Watch the skies!"

Men on the roofs began looking upward as Keitaro and Shinji kept their gaze forward. "Contact, we have infantry coming up the alley!" Someone yelled

"Aircraft spotted! Sev-" The shouting was cut off by an explosion as another missile impacted the building the soldier was standing on, sending him hurling down to the street.

"Get that anti-air up." Takashi yelled out. Honda moved to a firing position with his MANPADS.

"Locking on. . . Locking on. . ." Honda said as his finger tightened around the trigger, releasing the missile.

"Contact, we have infantry moving in from the left. They're trying to flank our machine gun!" Someone over the radio shouted. Keitaro wanted to move in and help hold them off, but before he could, several bullets flew past his position.

"Contact, we are taking fire on the right flank." Shinji said in a panicked voice, he peeked over the rubble. "There are at least eighteen hostiles."

The radio operator was desperate as the attack continued, "This is echo two and three, we are taking casualties, request support."

"Mortar positions ready, awaiting coordinates. Supplies en route, ETA ten minutes."

"Copy that, coordinates at grid sector two, seven, Foxtrot. Fire for effect."

"Affirmative."

"Take cover, guys. We've got artillery incoming." The radio man shouted. Less than a minute later, shrieks of incoming rounds could be heard. The projectiles plunged at a high angle, striking streets, buildings, and roofs. The artillery briefly caused the enemy to take cover, but they were falling too far to do any real damage.

March 15, 2010; 0018 local time; Fukuchiyama, Japan

The fighting had gone on through the night, both flanks hit hard. Keitaro was getting tired, they all were. The two-time ronin was down to his last two magazines, setting the weapon to single-shot to preserve what few rounds he had left. The resupplies had come, but they didn't last long, the machine guns were out of ammunition and most men were also down to their last few mags, forced to go through the kits of their fallen friends.

Takashi was running out of options; counter-battery fire had largely suppressed or destroyed his artillery support, air support was elsewhere, and he barely had a full platoon left. In a decision that would haunt him for the rest of his life, he shouted, "All units fall back! Fall back!" Takashi ordered "Hiro, Masaki, Hikaru, pop some smoke!" The three men threw smoke grenades. As the white fumes began to fill the streets and alleyways, the men took it in turns to retreat and give suppressing fire. Keitaro fired a few rounds blindly into the smoke as he broke cover to retreat.

They headed south hoping to reach the relative safety of the forests and hills near the Shiotsu Pass. Keitaro and Shinji moved back covered by men behind them.

The fifty-eight men that had originally held the position at the beginning of the battle had now been reduced to merely thirteen able-bodied soldiers and six walking wounded. They moved as fast as they could, but they were tired, hungry, and only had a vague idea of where they were going.

As they retreated, they met others who were falling back as well; lines and strong points across the city were collapsing at a sickeningly fast rate. They continued making their way back, the dark forests approaching quickly. They made their way down the streets, taking it in turns to watch each other's back and keeping themselves well spaced apart. Over the radio they could hear panicked voices, some units were attempting to regroup, but many others were in complete disarray.

Over the course of the night, Keitaro's unit was joined by about forty three men with at least eighteen walking wounded; the eighty men were an amalgamation of at least four platoons, mostly from Echo company. Command of this group was given to the only commissioned officer present, Lt. Yoshida. As they reached Fukuchiyama Girls High School, they heard a message that was being broadcasted over the main military frequency. "Fukuchiyama Defense Command to all remaining units, regroup at FOB (2) Mercy."

"Mercy is about a mile behind this school. If we cut through the forest we should get there in less than an hour." Yamada said, "I want twenty men watching our front, and another twenty watching our back. I want our wounded in the middle. Takashi, take your squad and watch the front. Miamoto, cover our rear. Ueada, sweep the left. Morita, watch the right flank."

The men began making their way up the road into the forest.

(1) MANPADS: MAN Portable Air Defense System, an anti-air weapon designed to be carried and fired by one person.

(2)FOB: Forward Operating Base


	11. Interlude

Wow, sorry for the dry spell. I had been lacking inspiration, I have some ideas and notes for subsequent chapters and an ending, but it's a bit rough getting to where I can implement them.

Warning: This fanfiction has not been approved for human consumption by the FDA. Do not ingest.

**"Chinese"**

"Japanese"

"English"

Enjoy

* * *

March 15, 2010; 0642 local time; Fukuchiyama, Kyoto prefecture

The Chinese offensive had been stopped on fortifications set up along the mountains on the central parts of Honshu Island. This perimeter was unofficially known as the "Bushi" line. The GDF had managed to stop its retreat and regroup, entrenching itself in the forests and mountains south of Ayabe and Fukuchiyama. The entire battle line stretched over 70 kilometers from the Kosaka Pass in the west to the town of Oi to the northeast. The defenses surrounded Maizuru and the areas nearby, marking the boundary of the area still under Japanese control.

FOB Mercy was built around Momijigaoka hospital. The fortifications were minimal, mostly consisting of trenches and foxholes covering the northern area. Defensive positions near the Hori neighborhood to the east were holding, for the time being. The terrain around the hospital was rough and far enough away from the front lines that enemy artillery was not a problem . . . yet. The forward positions were sufficiently secure that Chinese spotters couldn't get through to call in accurate indirect fire. While this was likely a temporary phenomenon, it gave the men time to recuperate and reorganize.

Keitaro was using this time to get some much needed rest on the driver's seat of an abandoned car in the parking lot. The vehicle was not the most comfortable place to sleep, but it was much better than the ground. Shinji sat next to him dozing in and out of consciousness as well.

As Keitaro's eyes grew heavy once more he heard a knocking on the car windshield. His eyes shot open and he saw the face of Sergeant Takashi. "Rest time is over; we're off to the Hori neighborhood to relieve the remnants of Charlie Company."

Keitaro rubbed his eyes and yawned. "How much longer are they going to put us out on the front?" He asked.

"Until it's done." Takashi said, in a defeated monotone. The sergeant took a drink from his canteen before continuing. "From what I hear, assets from the Tenth division (1) have been moving in from Nagoya. Unless we manage to drive the PLA back into the Sea, it'll easily be another two months at least before we get any substantial rest."

"That is too long." Shinji agreed, yawning and picking up his equipment.

* * *

March 15, 2012; 1045 local time; Hinata Sou.

Haruka had called all of the girls into the kitchen; she had received a letter from Keitaro. It was dated three days earlier and the return address was slightly disturbing. The location of the return address was in Fukuchiyama; which had been captured by the PLA last night.

She opened the envelope and read the letter.

_To everyone at home,_

_I'm sorry, but I won't be able to see you all at the end of the month. It is quite likely that I will not be able to see you all until this war is over. Being apart from you all breaks my heart, but knowing that I have the love and support of my family and friends has sustained me through it all._

_Know this: no matter what happens, I promise that I will come back. There is nothing that can permanently separate me from the ones I love._

_Sincerely,_

_Keitaro_

Haruka opened her mouth, as if to read more, but quickly closed it. "Please tell me there was more." Naru demanded, looking worried.

"The rest was something for me." Haruka said, her face stoic. She was hiding something again, and even Mutsumi could see it.

Shinobu's eyes were welling up; her emotions were fighting each other. On one side was the crushing realization that her Sempai would not be back in a long time (a small voice in her mind nagged her that he might never come back). Fighting this wave of negative emotions was an overwhelming sense of pride, it was HER and the others that kept Keitaro going; without HER, he might not have been able to make it this far.

Rather than voice these concerns, she merely asked Haruka, "Did Sempai say anything about White Day(2)? I mean, we sent him a gift package last month."

"She's right." Naru said, unsure of her true feelings on the matter.

Haruka looked at the letter, there was no mention of White day. "Perhaps he was too busy, Fukuchiyama was still the front lines."

"Ara, maybe this was his gift?" Mutsumi said, pulling out a crudely folded origami dove. The dove was made from white paper and was flattened to fit inside the envelope. On the wings were the characters for "Peace".

"That's it?" Naru asked, masking her concern with disappointment. It was traditional for the man to give something more valuable than what they received on Valentine's Day.

"It is possible that Urashima's true gift is not a tangible one." Motoko said, fingering the hilt of her sword. As she looked down at the weapon, her thoughts began to focus on the Keitaro. She wondered what it was like to be on a true battlefield; to employ one's skill at arms against a true foe, to lay one's life on the line to protect those who you loved. She would have to ask him when he returned.

"What's a tangible, is it good to eat?" Su asked, breaking Motoko out of her thoughts.

"It means that Urashima is giving us something that can't be touched, or eaten." The heir to Shinmei-Ryu explained, her voice showing heavy emotional control. She knew the symbolism behind the gift. "Hachiman. . ." She mouthed quietly.

"Or, he was just lazy." Naru chimed in, half-heartedly.

Mitsune raised an eyebrow. "Y'all don't really believe that, do you?" She asked in a tone that was more serious than usual.

Naru opened her mouth to protest before hanging her head with a defeated sigh. "No."

* * *

March 15, 2010; 1304 local time; Hill 27, Hori, Kyoto Prefecture

Keitaro and his platoon were dug in along the forests and hills south of Hori. The roads were obstructed by anything the GDF could find, from crude hedgehogs to wrecked cars and rubble. The roadblock could be charitably called a speed bump, as any sapper detachment, dozer or dedicated armored attack could clear the most of the barriers.

The biggest saving grace of the terrain was that the mountains, forests and hills that covered most of Japan heavily favored defensive tactics. Keitaro and Shinji shared a foxhole previously dug by Charlie Company. The hole was not impressive, but was better than nothing. Camouflage netting was spread over the top, which kept the sun out, but not the rain.

Keitaro wasn't sure what to think of this, on the one hand Japan was fighting on its home turf, however fighting on Japanese soil meant that collateral damage affected only Japan. Keitaro also had mixed feelings about the terrain in general. His limited tactical experience told him that mechanized forces and armored formations on both sides were severely limited. He had seen this defensive advantage capitalized upon during the Chinese offensive to take Ayabe, as enemy tanks and APC's were susceptible to ambush from the mountains and convoys could be boxed in on some of the narrow valleys. Unfortunately, it also limited the GDF's armored capabilities. Tanks had been deployed, but they were usually dug in behind berms and trenches.

The situation was desperate enough in some areas that they had to improvise certain things. "Hillbilly" armored pickup trucks and civilian vehicles were being used in some areas due to a lack of specialized fighting equipment. These ramshackle fighting machines were also used by special detachments of the GDF to go behind enemy lines and conduct ambushes and raids, usually supervised by either a Balaclava-clad member of the Special Operations Group or a "Tanaka". Tanakas were supposedly "military advisors" hired by the government to help train troops. In practice, they often personally accompanied officers who commanded the soldiers going behind enemy lines. Keitaro rarely ever saw them, but from what he saw, they were usually foreigners that spoke Japanese. The one he had met claimed to have once been part of "Special Forces" but refused to elaborate any further.

Keitaro's thoughts were interrupted by Shinji as the younger man asked a question. "Hey Keitaro, what are you going to do when this is over?"

The two-year ronin turned to the teenager, his mind considering the question. "Probably go back to my cram school and try for Tokyo-U, again."

"Todai?" Shinji responded, surprised that someone so old was still trying to get into college. He leaned against the slightly damp wall. "You still haven't gotten into college?"

* * *

March 15, 2010; 1429 local time; PLA Headquarters, Maizuru, Occupied Japan

Commander Xiong was frustrated; his offensives were getting less and less effective. The PLA had managed to capture Fukuchiyama and Ayabe, but they still had to pass the mountains before they could get to Osaka. If they managed to capture Osaka, they could disable one of Japan's large shipping ports, oil refineries, and industrial centers. After that, they could close off the island of Shikoku. The island was the home of Howa Machinery (3) and the Browning arms factory. The Chinese commander had intelligence that said both factories were running around the clock, attempting to supply the thousands of conscripts that were being rushed to the front. He knew that the main route between the factories and Honshu was through Osaka.

The Chinese officer sighed. He originally had doubts about this invasion, the experiences of the past month only served to confirm some of his concerns. At least the politicians had allowed him enough autonomy to alter his plans. He would make his way south, bypassing Kyoto to attack Kobe before moving east. He could not deny that capturing Kyoto would be devastating to the morale of the Japanese people, but it would be too difficult to maneuver his troops through the mountains from their current position. If he could hold the GDF at the passes, he could sweep around and attack the rest of the Kansai region, cutting off seaborne supply routes to Kyoto. Additionally, they could capture the Kansai and Kobe airports, denying additional routes of entry for the United States who would inevitably join the fight.

Xiong could read the writing on the wall; the Chairman's ruse could only last so long. He hoped to be dictating surrender terms in Tokyo by the time that the United States was ready to act. However, he had made contingency plans in the event that the United States intervened early, but many of them hinged on the ability of the PLA to take Osaka in less than two months.

More reinforcements and equipment were due in from North Korean staging areas within the next twenty four hours. He needed to keep the pressure on the Japanese. The problem was that they were proving to be tenacious defenders. With every offensive he ordered, he was losing more and gaining less. At least the southern campaign was proceeding well. The southern force had captured the island of Kyushu and was poised to strike Honshu as soon as their reinforcements arrived. The campaign in Hokkaido was fulfilling its purpose adequately as well. Capturing and holding the northernmost island was secondary to tying down the JSDF Northern Army, Japan's largest concentration of military ground assets.

The commander sipped some tea before taking another look at the maps. After staring at them unproductively for a minute or so, he put his face in his hands, his index fingers rubbing the temples. As he worked the skin on his head, a new feeling began to take hold.

**"Xingmei. . ."** He whispered. **"My beloved, I miss you."**

* * *

March 15, 2010; 1502 local time; Hill 27, Hori, Kyoto Prefecture

"So, the short of it is: My father is an asshole." Shinji said as he took a drink from his canteen. The two of them had been swapping stories to pass the time.

"Can't argue with that." Keitaro agreed as the two of them looked down into the valley. The view was actually quite impressive, with the houses in Hori clustered together, the forested hills, and the river meandering through the valley with fields on either side. Further away, they could see Fukuchiyama; some of the buildings were still burning, sending up pillars of smoke.

As Shinji watched the smoke rise, he began to feel the weight of failure on his chest. This whole war had been a protracted, fighting retreat. Shinji sighed; he couldn't shake the feeling that this wouldn't be the last time they retreated.

"Do you think we even have a chance to stop the PLA?" The teen asked.

Keitaro blinked, wondering what brought this up. "Of course we do." He said, trying to be reassuring. "We can hold them."

"Can we? We tried to hold them at Maizuru, we tried to hold them all along Route 175, we tried to hold them in Fukuchiyama, and now we're trying to hold them again. I don't think I can take it anymore." Shinji said, clenching his fist.

"Come on, you can't give up." Keitaro responded putting his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "It means they've won. They can shell us, they can shoot at us, and they can charge us with bayonets, but as long as people like you and I are willing to fight on, there is always a chance to stop the PLA."

"You really believe that touchy-feely stuff?" Shinji asked with a hint of derision.

"Of course." The ronin said, "It's one of the reasons I haven't cracked. We can't give up, even in the face of defeat."

"There's a fine line between giving up and accepting the inevitable." Shinji said.

"Maybe, but I refuse to believe that a Chinese victory is inevitable." Keitaro said. "Even if it was, I would still fight if it meant that the ones I love can live in peace for just one more day."

"I guess you're right." Shinji said in a voice that was slightly lacking in sincerity.

"It's going to be fine." Keitaro said before thinking to himself. _We can hold them. . ._

* * *

(1) The Tenth Division of the JSDF is in charge of protecting much of the southern Chubu region, (basically the stretch of Honshu between Kyoto and Kanagawa).

(2) In Japan girls give gifts to the boys in their life on Valentine's Day, White day happens one month later in March. On this day, the boys give gifts to the girls, usually colored white and often more valuable than Valentine's Day gifts.

(3) The Howa Machinery Company is in charge of producing many of the JSDF's individual weapons, notably Japan's main service rifle, the Type 89.


	12. Hill 27

Now with less violence but more kinky sex and nudity for a cleaner and saner America (just kidding, if anything this chapter is more violent).

"Japanese"

"**Chinese"**

* * *

March 16, 2010; 0224 local time; Route 175, 20km north of the Bushi line, Occupied Japan.

Senior NCO (1) Feng sat in his vehicle as his unit re-deployed their PLZ-05 self-propelled howitzers along the side of the road. To the civilians who had not been evacuated, the vehicles looked like tanks, but their turrets were set to the rear of the chassis. Feng had received orders to move with his artillery battery to a better position to support the new offensive. The PLA would hit several spots at once, but only press hard in two places, the areas outside Ayabe and Fukuchiyama. The attack out of Ayabe was a feint, a ruse to make the Japanese think they were going for Kyoto rather than town of Tanba to the south on the way to Kobe and Osaka.

Forward observers had managed to infiltrate through the advance surveillance positions (derisively referred to as "the speed bump") of the line and were now relaying coordinates. **"Qilin four to fire control, fire mission, enemy entrenched positions, grid reference twelve, sixteen."**

"**Copy that Qilin, fire mission confirmed for grid reference twelve, sixteen. Five rounds smoke on the way."** The communications officer said before transmitting the coordinates to the artillerymen. The long barrels of the self-propelled howitzers raised to the sky as their crews prepared for the initial barrage.

The large guns weren't the only things being brought to bear against the defensive line. About five kilometers behind Feng's unit were the rocket batteries. The rockets could put out more explosives in a shorter amount of time than his howitzers, but they were slower to reload and not suited for sustained fire support.

* * *

March 16, 2010; 0229 local time; Hill 27, Hori, Kyoto Prefecture

Keitaro was dozing in the foxhole while Shinji stood watching the roads. The young man almost couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the first rocket, followed by hundreds of others. "ROCKETS!" someone shouted as the shrieking missiles began to impact.

Keitaro was violently brought back into reality as Shiji grabbed him and pulled him further down into the hole. "Get down, we have incoming!" There was little time to respond as the barrage intensified.

Illumination flares lit up the night sky as GDF forces prepared for contact. Keitaro peeked out of the hole and saw Chinese infantry, APC's and tanks moving up from Fukuchiyama as a second volley of rockets began to fly from behind the hills to the north.

"This is Echo two, seven, we have contact. PC's, infantry, and armor at Shiotsu. Requesting immediate support." A communications officer said into his radio.

"Copy that Echo, sit tight, choppers inbound. Artillery on standby awaiting your coordinates." The voice on the other end responded.

"Enemy forces approaching at grid reference Baker, two, India, five. Friendly position Charlie, four, Hotel, seven. Require immediate suppression." The radio operator said.

"Fire mission on baker, two, India, five. Confirmed." The radio said. A few seconds later, the first shell impacted, followed by others.

The cacophony of battle was all around Keitaro as he tried to fight. He set up the bipod of his battle rifle and started trying to pick targets. The defenses on the hillside were being saturated with suppressive fire. Keitaro could see muzzle flashes coming from the hills opposite the defensive positions, but they were out of range for his weapon. He looked down at the valley and saw movement there and along route 175. Keitaro could barely make out any sort of targets apart from the large vehicles and occasional infantryman. The APC's began closing the distance, using buildings as cover and saturating the hills with cannon fire. As they reached the foot of the hills, the hatches opened up and soldiers began to move up the hills.

"Infantry advancing! Redirect that '96!" An officer shouted as the crew adjusted their weapon. The Type 96 was a machine gun that could fire 40mm grenades. It was capable of discharging five grenades every second. The gunner adjusted the sights before letting loose.

"**Automatic grenade launcher in the tree line, bearing 183 degrees. Take it out!"** A Chinese officer shouted into his walkie-talkie as the explosives rained down on his position, inflicting gruesome casualties and driving men into cover. The turrets of two of the APC's rotated and opened fire with their autocannons.

Explosions erupted in and around the Type 96 emplacement. The survivors ducked into their hole and the gunner began trying to fire blind, but it wasn't enough to stop the advancing infantry. The PLA continued its advance up the hills, overrunning the most forward positions.

"Tachi two, actual (2) to Echo, reinforcements are en route, ETA fifteen minutes." A voice over the radio said.

"We can't hold them for fifteen minutes! Where are those damn choppers?!"

"Air support was rerouted to a breakthrough in Ayabe."

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE SHITTING ME!" The comm officer shouted. "If we don't get any support there's going to be a breakthrough HERE!" An artillery shell went off in the background, as if to punctuate the officer's words.

"Understood, Echo, but support is stretched thin as it is. We're routing three platoons from Izumi, along with more ammo and whatever else we can get to you."

"Copy that. Echo out." The comm officer said, grinding his teeth in frustration.

* * *

March 16, 2010; 0246 local time; Temporary JSDF command post, Hill 27, Hori, Kyoto Prefecture.

The dual rotors of the three CH-47 "Chinook" helicopters kicked up clouds of dust as they landed in the makeshift clearings behind the crest of the hill. The back gate opened up and soldiers poured out, some carrying large boxes of equipment and ammunition.

An older man and three others moved to the temporary command bunker as the last of the soldiers disembarked. The man's rank badge featured a bar underneath three stars; he presented himself to the field commander. "Captain Ito with the 37th regiment, where do you need us?"

The Major in command of this stretch of the defenses motioned to a map. "We need two platoons to reinforce the areas here and here." He pointed to two spots half way between the bunker and the foot of the hill. "The third platoon will shore up defenses along this trench line here." The officer traced the area with his finger. The Captain nodded before he and his subordinates left the bunker to relay the orders to the rest of the reinforcements.

* * *

March 16, 2010; 0307 local time; Hill 27, Hori, Kyoto Prefecture

"WHERE IS THAT AMMO?!" Sergeant Takashi roared as he reloaded his weapon, he and many of his men were running dangerously low.

Bullets fell short of their mark in front of Keitaro's foxhole, causing both of the young men to duck inside. Shinji was hyperventilating, his hands shook, and the signs of tears were evident on his face. "We're all going to die here!" Shinji said, his voice shaking and panicked.

"Get a hold-!" Keitaro shouted, the last of his words interrupted by an explosion and shower of debris falling into the hole. "You said. . . tired. . . running. . . Fight!"

_Fight. . . _

The word reverberated in the teen's mind. Shinji nodded weakly before grabbing his rifle and rejoining the battle.

Incoming fire from both sides intensified, barrages from positions behind the hills were slowing down the Chinese advance. However, the PLA were still closing the distance. They were now less than 200 meters from the main defensive line. If they got much closer, indirect artillery fire would be falling dangerously close.

"Bayonets!" several officers shouted. Keitaro covered Shinji as he attached the blade to his rifle before the younger man returned the favor. More than just a weapon, the bayonets sent a clear message to the Chinese: the GDF was willing to fight up close, hand to hand if necessary. They would fight tooth and nail to defend this position and the PLA must be prepared to do the same if they wanted to take it.

The advancing Chinese slowed down, taking cover. A forward observer contacted fire control. **"Qillin six to fire control, all units in position. Fire mission on enemy position, grid reference twelve, sixteen adjust fifteen degrees up and seventeen degrees East. Danger close."**

"**Understood Qillin, five rounds smoke on the way."**

Several seconds later the smoke shells impacted approximately forty meters short of the main trench lines.

"**Adjust forty meters forward and fire for effect."** The observer said.

"**Copy that Qillin. Adjust fourty meters forward, firing for effect."** The coordinator responded. The Chinese guns slowed their pace in preparation for the next salvo.

"**Hurry it up, their artillery has us zeroed!"** The observer shouted as enemy shells intensified.

Back in the main trenches and foxholes, spirits were rising, they could see the Chinese taking cover and stopping their advance, one of the younger NCO's cheered shouting "The enemy is stopping, keep fighting and push them back."

"Quiet, that last ones were smoke rounds!" A platoon commander shouted at his exuberant subordinate. "Those bastards are zero-!"

The officer didn't have time to finish his sentence before the shrieks of innumerable shells and rockets rained down upon the positions. Everything the Chinese could muster was being thrown onto the defenders intending to break Japan's defensive lines again. Keitaro felt as if the sky was falling down upon them as he and Shinji ducked into the foxhole, praying to any god that would listen that none of them would land in their hole. Nothing he had experienced up to this point could compare to the sheer terror he felt, time seemed to slow down as the shelling continued, airbursts erupted in the sky several meters above the trenches scattering shrapnel everywhere. A fragment managed to lodge itself into Keitaro's helmet, giving his scalp a shallow cut.

No sooner had the airbursts stopped than smoke rounds shrieked and erupted. These, along with smoke grenades created a massive screen of smoke to cover the advance. Seconds after the smoke rounds fell, a cheer rose out all along the line through the smoke as the PLA charged forward, spraying suppression fire and firing rifle grenades. With guns blazing and bayonets flashing, soldiers began pouring from the smoke. They used a combination of cover, suppressive fire, and speed to rapidly close the gap.

"STEEL YOURSELVES! ANY MAN WHO RUNS WILL BE SHOT!" Takashi shouted, as a fresh batch of tracers flew from both sides. Keitaro ducked into the hole as more bullets swept past his position. "Shinji, are you alright?"

"I can't. . . I can't. . . I can't. . ." the teen said, his body curled into a shivering ball.

"YES YOU CAN!" The ronin yelled, grabbing the younger man's shoulder and shaking him

"No, I can't. . ."

"Then give me your ammo, I'm almost out." Keitaro said, reaching down and taking out one of Shinji's magazines.

Chinese lobbed grenades into the main trench, some of the explosions causing casualties inside while others were successfully kicked into the grenade sumps. The grenades still opened up gaps in the trench allowing Chinese soldiers to jump into the main trench, several of them falling onto the bayonets of waiting GDF troopers. The shorter QBZ-95 assault rifles used by the PLA were better suited for the close-quarters fighting of the trenches. The compact weapons were much easier to maneuver in the confines of the trench, giving the Chinese a noticeable advantage that slightly compensated for the rifle's lack of reach when it came to bayonet fighting. Chinese soldiers continued moving into the trenches and foxholes, those that made it inside were now mostly protected from heavy weapons and artillery. All along the line, PLA soldiers began fighting their way through the fortifications.

"I say again. Echo, how close are the enemy infantry?" the command center asked to the comm officer.

"Enemy soldiers are right on top of us in the trenches! If we don't get any reinforcements, you'll be able to ask to them yourself!" The officer shouted, with a hint of hysteria as both sides engaged in a brutal melee.

Keitaro saw enemy soldiers advancing on his foxhole. He chose to duck down and wait for them to pass. "Shinji, I need you to help me. Just this once. . ." He said, to his squadmate. "Stay down until I give the signal. When I tell you, jump up and open up with automatic fire on the left flank, I'll take the right."

"Alright" the panicked teen said weakly, nodding slowly. As he was nodding, something bounced into the hole on top of Keitaro. "GRENADE!" Shinji yelled.

Keitaro quickly knocked the explosive into the pit in the middle of the foxhole and rolled his rucksack on top of it in the hope that it would contain the lion's share of the shrapnel. Both men covered their faces with their arms and waited. The grenade detonated, spreading metal fragments, most of them contained by the pit and backpack, but one lodged itself into the underside of Keitaro's left forearm. The adrenalin coursing through his system meant that the man did not feel much, other than a bit of pressure on his forearm.

The two men knew that the enemy would be coming soon to check it out. Keitaro pointed to the lip of the trench and made a stabbing motion with his hands. Shinji nodded, readying his rifle.

A Chinese soldier moved forward preparing clear the hole with automatic fire, but as he approached the hole, Keitaro and Shinji both sprang out driving their bayonets into him. Shinji's blade struck into his inner thigh while Keitaro's managed to pierce the stomach. The surprised soldier fell forward, dropping his weapon and landing face first in the foxhole.

The breakthrough in the main trench was reaching Takashi's positions, "Hiro, suppress the left flank. Hamada, get some support to Urashima and Ikari! Kumamoto, get them some ammo!"

Tracers from Hamata's machine gun flew past as Kumamoto and two other troopers crawled forward. They took it in turns to move one man at a time to cover each other's advance.

Keitaro had used up the last magazine in his rifle and picked up the enemy soldier's rifle. Not having time to figure out the fire selection system on the new weapon, he just aimed and fired. The new weapon burned through its magazine in about four good bursts.

He ducked again, his hands fumbling around the magazine trying to figure out how to reload it. His fingers eventually reached a small lever behind the magazine. He pressed it and the magazine fell out. In the meantime, Shinji threw a grenade, intending buy them some time before the next group of enemies made it to their position.

Keitaro rolled the dead soldier over and removed one of his spare magazines, and after a bit of fiddling he managed to get it properly seated in the weapon. Before he could work the charging handle, he heard a shout from behind. "Urashima, Ikari! Ammo! Catch!" A satchel flopped into their hole near the dead soldier.

Shinji tore open the satchel and reloaded his weapon while Keitaro's fingers found the charging handle on the QBZ-95. He raised the captured weapon and began firing once more. He found the weapon to be unfamiliar, but it was sending bullets in the right direction.

The western flank of the defensive line began to collapse as Chinese soldiers overran the main trenches. The situation was getting bleaker by the second. "ECHO TO COMMAND! WHERE THE FUCK ARE OUR REINFORCEMENTS!? WE ARE GETTING TORN TO SHREDS OUT HERE. I NEED EVERYTHING YOU CAN THROW RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!"

"Understood Echo, reinforcements have been delayed by enemy artillery. Your orders are to fall back to the secondary line. All available guns will support your retreat. They are ready to fire on your coordinates."

"DO IT, DROP EVERYTHING ON CHARILE, FOUR, HOTEL, SEVEN ADJUST FIFTEEN DEGREES UP AND FIVE DEGREES EAST! DROP THEM RIGHT ON TOP OF US IF YOU HAVE TO!"

"Understood Echo. . ." The officer said, his voice wavering a bit at the gravity of the situation.

After several seconds, the shriek of incoming rounds could be heard, striking the ground with eruptions of fire, smoke, and shrapnel.

"ALL UNITS FALL BACK TO THE CREST OF THE HILL! FALL BACK!" The message was relayed all along the lines as GDF troopers began to withdraw in another semi-organized fighting retreat.

"Urashima! Ikari! Get back here!Hamada! Lay down some suppressive fire!" Takashi roared, attempting to pull his squad out in an orderly fashion.

Several short bursts rang out from Hamada's machine gun, red tracers flying into the trees.

"Shinji, you first!" Keitaro yelled throwing a smoke grenade and firing a burst from his rifle. The teen was about to protest when a mortar shell landed inside Hamada's position, killing him and effectively silencing their main source of suppressive fire. "GO!"

The young man nodded vigorously as Keitaro laid down a long burst of automatic fire. Shinji made a mad dash to the nearest shell crater and jumped inside. "Keitaro! Come on!" He yelled, firing off a few rounds into the smoke.

Keitaro scrambled out of the hole, firing a few wild shots behind him before dashing past Shinji and jumping into the main trench. A wet, squishing sound came from under his boot as it landed in the fortification. _Don't look. . . don't even think about it. . . _he thought to himself as he turned around and fired rounds off into the distance. Shinji followed him, jumping into the abandoned machine gun nest.

Tracers from a Chinese machine gun flew past, causing the younger man to duck. When he looked back up, he saw Keitaro's body sprawled face down on the ground.

"KEITARO! GET OVER HERE!" Shinji shouted.

Keitaro didn't respond.

"Dammit! Urashima, get your ass over here!" Takashi bellowed, tossing another smoke grenade.

There was still no response, Shinji started running towards his fallen comrade.

"Ikari! Get back here!" The Sergeant ordered as another soldier moved forward to cover them.

Shinji reached Keitaro and attempted to pull him away. The young teen slowly dragged Keitaro's limp body into the nearest cover.

"Dammit, Ikari get back here!" Takashi roared.

"I'm not leaving him!" Shinji yelled from behind cover, preparing to carry the young man.

"Leave him behind, or we'll leave you behind!" The squad leader shouted as the incoming fire from behind the smoke screen increased.

Shinji's mind was torn. On the one hand was the man who had saved his life less than two hours ago, on the other was his own life. A nearby explosion rained debris down on their position. The young man steeled himself. "Forgive me. . ." He said quietly to the limp form before picking up his rifle and joining the rest of his squad.

* * *

(1) NCO: Non-Commissioned Officer, senior enlisted personnel (sergeants, corporals, etc.)

(2) Actual: A radio designation term for the commander. In this case "Tachi two actual", denotes that the speaker is in command of the unit "Tachi two"


	13. Camp 17

Remember: In Soviet Russia, Fanfiction reviews YOU!

"Japanese"

"**Chinese"**

Enjoy

* * *

March 16, 2010; 0925 local time; Hill 27, Hori, Occupied Japan

The morning sun shone down on the grisly battle scene. Bodies (whole and otherwise) littered the forest floor, crows and other vermin were already picking over the dead. A platoon of Chinese soldiers swept the area for survivors. In a shell crater, hundreds of kilometers from home, Keitaro stirred. The first thing he noticed was the shooting pain in his left arm. He turned his head to investigate and felt something rake across his scalp. Something was rubbing against his head as it shifted inside the helmet.

He undid the strap with his right hand and removed the headgear. He saw the fragment of metal sticking out of it as he dropped the helmet to the ground. He looked at his arm again, slowly pulling up the bloodstained sleeve. He saw the gash on the underside of his forearm crusted with dried blood and dirt. As his mind processed what it saw, the dryness in his throat brought another need to his attention.

_Water_. . .

Keitaro fumbled with his canteen, trying to ignore the pain as he unbuckled the drinking vessel. He had unscrewed the cap and was about to take a drink when he heard footsteps coming from over the lip of the crater. He froze, his eyes darting around the crater looking for a weapon.

"**Zhongzhi (1), I found someone!"** A voice called out from beyond the hole.

Keitaro's eyes went wide, had they had found him? . . . A surge of adrenalin deadened the pain slightly as he put down his canteen, crawling on his hands and knees looking for a weapon.

"**He's still breathing. Medic! Get over here!"** the same voice shouted from outside the hole, footsteps ran past his position towards the voice.

Keitaro's breathing rapidly increased. They were close, but had he been spotted? Those last comments had cast a small doubt.

His hands came across something in the bare soil. Keitaro brushed away some of the earth, revealing a rifle covered in dirt. As the young ronin was about to examine the weapon further, he heard a voice behind him.

"**Don't move!"** the voice ordered. Keitaro let a frightened gasp as he heard the unfamiliar language. He slowly raised his hands, hoping that it was what the voice wanted. **"Zhongzhi, we have a live one here."**

Another set of footsteps padded behind him. A new, deeper voice called out in heavily accented Japanese. "Get up! Turn around!"

Keitaro stood and faced the voice. A dark red patch of dried blood was evident on the left side of his head. He saw two Chinese soldiers pointing their bayoneted assault rifles at him. One of them was slightly taller with a more defined jaw line. Keitaro's mind raced as his eyes focused on the two weapons directed at him. His heart was in his throat, not knowing if they were going to capture him or just kill him on the spot.

"**Check him for Weapons." **The taller one ordered. The soldier moved forward, frisking Keitaro while the other man kept his weapon trained on the ronin.

Finding him unarmed, the shorter man turned to his superior. **"No weapons. Put him with the others?"**

The NCO nodded before turning to Keitaro. "Try to escape and you will be shot." He said, as the other soldier prodded him forward with a bayonet.

The young man nodded, letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. For now it seemed that he would live. A small part of his mind wondered how long it would last.

* * *

March 16, 2010; 1328 local time; POW (2) camp 17, Occupied Japan.

Blindfolded and bound, Japanese prisoners were unloaded from a transport truck outside of a temporary POW camp. It was in the middle of a field, few actually knew the exact location. The camp had been built within the last twenty four hours and was little more than a chain-link fence enclosure with tarps for shelter, razor wire, flood lights and machine gun nests. Anyone who tried to run would have to clear 400 meters of open ground covered my multiple machine guns.

Keitaro's throat was uncomfortably dry as the blindfolds were removed. The men were lined up in front of a two Chinese soldiers. The shorter of the two men wore a PLA officer's uniform and looked rather old, in his hand was a clipboard. Next to him was a slightly taller, younger man carrying a box of white tags. The first man looked the prisoners over before calling a prisoner forward. "Name. Rank. Serial." He demanded in a voice loud enough to be heard throughout the camp, his Japanese was almost perfect with only a slight accent.

"Tsugimoto Kenji, Private, Serial 31747672." The soldier responded.

Both Chinese soldiers wrote down the information, one on his clipboard, the other on a white tag.

"This is your identification and your meal ticket." The older man said addressing the crowd, as his partner attached the piece of paper to the prisoner's shirt. "No tag, no food."

The men then went along the line, taking names and putting on tags. The two reached Keitaro, asking him for his information. "Urashima Keitaro, Private, Serial 31413447" The young man responded, his voice like a rasp. The information was taken down and pinned onto his shirt. The men soon finished and their task and dismissed the prisoners.

Keitaro sat down on the ground as a captured medic came around, treating the wounded. Keitaro closed his eyes, trying to make sense of what was happening. It looked like they weren't going to be executed, which gave him a small comfort. "Do you think they're going to move us?" One of the prisoners asked to another. Keitaro opened his eyes, but did not recognize who they were. One was a tall, lean young man; the other man was slightly older with greying black hair that was thinning on the top.

"Maybe, if I'm right, we may be moving to Korea." The older man said, Keitaro approached them and caught a glimpse of the older man's nametag which read "Inoue Hiroto, Sergeant First Class".

"Korea?" Keitaro asked, not believing his ears.

The older man shrugged. "My Chinese isn't the best, but I think I heard one of the guards say something about Maizuru and route 175. I also heard something about a Bay Han (3). I think that's Chinese for North Korea."

The other men pondered the possibility, wondering what would happen to them. China and North Korea weren't exactly known as shining examples of humane prisoner treatment.

* * *

March 18, 2010; 1237 local time; Hinata Tea shop

_. . . Chinese forces have broken through the southern defensive lines at Fukuchiyama and Ayabe. Self Defense Forces have managed to stop the enemy's advance to Kyoto. . . the advance south of Fukuchiyama has secured Tamba with little resistance. . . _

Haruka put down the newspaper, her heart heavy. The stress was getting to her; she had been hard pressed to reassure the girls that Keitaro was doing well. There had only been one letter since the JSDF pulled out of Fukuchiyama. While maintaining her calm and quietly reassuring demeanor for the girls, she had been making preparations should the worst happen. The last letter Keitaro had sent contained paperwork she would need to transfer ownership of the inn in the event of his death. Knowing the nature of the information, Keitaro had sent the envelope to her tea house rather than the inn.

She lit a cigarette and took a long drag. As she exhaled a smoky breath, she heard the phone ring. She quickly moved over to the device, picking up the handset. "Hello?"

"Haruka. . . It's your brother. . . I just got a call from the Defense Ministry."

"Keitaro. . ." Haruka said her voice wavering in surprise. She took a long breath and waited for the rest of the message. This was it; her brother had received the dreaded "call".

"He is missing. . . He fell behind during the retreat from Fukuchiyama." The man on the other end said, his voice wavering as if the act of saying the words caused pain.

"Missing?" Haruka asked, surprised.

"Yes." The man responded, in a rather defeated tone.

"Have you told mom?" She asked, wondering how the elder Urashima would take the news.

There was a pause on the other end of the line. ". . . Not yet."

"You know she'll be even more upset if you don't tell her soon." Haruka said.

"I know. . . It's just. . . I'm hoping. . ."

"So am I. . ." Haruka said, finding her vision clouding as tears welled up in her eyes. Despite her callous demeanor towards her nephew, he was still family. This new information now put her in an unenviable position. How would she break the news to the girls?

* * *

March 18, 2010; 0925 local time; undisclosed location, Occupied Japan

A bright light shone in Keitaro's face causing the young man to wince and squint. The room was dark and he wasn't sure where he was. The Chinese had begun to interrogate the prisoners soon after receiving them, starting with the officers, then the professional enlisted men, and finally the draftees. The questions were frustrating him; he didn't want to talk at all. The last thing he had eaten was the cup of rice they gave him two days ago and they wouldn't allow him to eat until after the interrogation. "I told you, I don't know anything! They don't tell us their battle plans. We just do what we're ordered to."

"And what have you been ordered to do?" The interrogator asked. His face was not recognizable due to the lights.

"Hold the lines! That's all they ever said! Hold the lines or they'll reach Fukuchiyama! Hold the lines or we'll lose the city! Hold the lines or they'll take the pass! That's it, hold the line, hold the line, HOLD THE DAMNED LINES!" Keitaro shouted, venting his anger and general frustration at his current position.

There was a pause before the interrogator motioned to one of the guards. **"Take him back and bring the next one in."**

The guard put a blindfold around the prisoner's eyes and roughly led him out of the building. The interrogator sighed inwardly; the contents of Keitaro's outburst were nothing new. The majority of the draftees weren't helpful; they were more likely to cooperate, but the ones that cooperated didn't have much in the way of useful intelligence.

Keitaro was led back into a truck to wait until the rest of the prisoners were interrogated. He felt helpless, sitting there, tied up and waiting to be taken back to the prison.

* * *

March 18, 2010; 1648 local time; PLA Headquarters, Maizuru, Occupied Japan

"**Are you sure?"** Commander Xiong asked over the phone, he was speaking with an intelligence coordinator who had just relayed some disturbing news. The aircraft carrier USS George Washington and her strike group had left Tokyo bay, along with the battleships Missouri and Iowa. The Chinese commander was worried; Washington's fighter wing was the biggest concentration of military aircraft in the area. The battleships were another threat; if they were anchored offshore of Kyushu, they would give Japan a massive concentration of artillery to defend against an assault on Honshu.

"**Yes commander, they disembarked at 1100 and were last seen by our spies heading southwest around Izu Oshima."** The voice at the other end said grimly.

Despite having twenty J-15's and eight J-17's at his disposal, the Chinese commander lacked the logistical capabilities and infrastructure to maintain a state of constant air supremacy. Additionally, the JSDF had deployed two AEGIS-equipped destroyers to Osaka bay, giving the areas south of Tamba a powerful anti-air defense. These factors meant that much of the airspace around the occupied portions of Japan was still contested. The Chinese ability to fight without complete control of the air was largely due to their potent anti-aircraft defenses and Japan's crippled air-to-ground attack capabilities. In fact, the aircraft that were brought against the PLA in Ayabe were little more than transport helicopters, hastily modified to carry weapons. These were still a threat, but they were no replacement for dedicated attack helicopters and strike fighters. Having the Washington anchored in a place like Osaka bay could guarantee a source of rapid and effective air support for the Japanese. Additionally, it meant that the United States was getting ready to make its move. American involvement at this stage would greatly tip the balance of the entire campaign.

Xiong let out a rueful laugh, the United States wouldn't even have to send troops to beat the PLA as they were now. All they really would have to do is secure the skies and provide logistical support. The United States had a great deal of experience supplying and maintaining fighting forces abroad. If the US lent Japan even a fraction of its knowhow and equipment, they could move more troops and supplies rapidly and effectively. This would give them the ability to do more than just hold the lines.

Additionally, he had been receiving substantiated reports that the South Korean military was becoming more active than usual in Pohang. This could mean many things. Among the worst of the possibilities was a naval blockade on Wonsan, the main port that was supplying the invasion forces. If they were successful, the South Koreans could isolate the PLA forces in both Hokkaido and Honshu. This possibility was reinforced by reports that the South Korean navy was moving warships from Busan to Pohang. The final thing that worried him was the information he received from his spies in the United States. The aircraft carriers USS John C. Stennis and USS Abraham Lincoln were gearing up to disembark. If these vessels were deployed, they could be launching air strikes on his positions in about a week. These two vessels would give the United States more than 150 additional fighter aircraft, along with the capabilities of their escorts.

He had been voicing these concerns to his superiors. He had asked for additional troops to shore up defenses, more submarines to patrol the seas around Japan, as well as a possible diversionary action from North Korea, potentially an artillery strike near the DMZ. He needed to tie down the Americans in Korea, and possibly the South Koreans as well. The Chinese would need to calibrate the diversion carefully. Too little and the diversion would not be effective, too much and they could provoke an all-out war with Korea and assure a swift response from the United States.

* * *

(1) Zhongzhi: Chinese military rank roughly equivalent to Sergeant

(2) POW: Prisoner Of War

(3) One of the Chinese terms for North Korea is Beihan.


End file.
